


A Journey of Memories and Family

by animefan021513



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Adventure, Best Friends, Bonding, Childhood Memories, Developing Friendships, Epic Friendship, Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Secrets, Father-Son Relationship, Feels, Friendship, Gen, Memories, Memory Related, Protective Sanderson Mansnoozie, Recovered Memories, Repressed Memories, Sassy Sanderson Mansnoozie, Training, Understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 07:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 46,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17955899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animefan021513/pseuds/animefan021513
Summary: Jack gets called to the pole to take a trip down Memory lane. They will all see and feel everything Jack has seen and felt since he was born. What will they discover about their youngest guardian? What will they discover about themselves? And just how big of a roll does Sandy play in all of this. Read and Find out! (FYI I'm not that great at Summaries LOL)





	1. Mrs. Bennett

"Hey, Jamie, watch this!" Jack shouted with a joyful laughter that he could feel deep in his heart as he felt his magic rush through his entire body while he made snowman versions of the guardians.

"Cool!" Jamie shouted as he jumped up and down when he noticed that they really did look like them. Even the pattern on their clothes that he first saw last year.

"Now, how about some target practice?" Jack suggested with a mischievous wink.

"You really want me to hit them?" Jamie asked with a worried expression.

"No! Of course not...however, if you wanted to throw a few at ol' cottontail..." He trailed off as he made snow targets for Jamie to throw snowballs at. "...I wouldn't be opposed to it, but I think these will do better."

"Oh, this should be easy!" Jamie said as he began rolling up a cool snowball in his hand that still glittered with freshly fallen snow as it started to cool his hand through his gloves.

"Oh really..." Jack smirked, and noticed a questioning look on his little friend's face. He pointed his staff at the very bottom of the targets and beneath them appeared small legs and feet like what was on Bunny's eggs when they were walking on their own. "How about now?" He asked him with a wide grin.

"That...might be a bit difficult. I don't think I can..." Jamie answered with a small smile.

"Well, you won't know until you try!" Jack said as he made ten more snowballs for his small friend.

"Yeah!" Jamie laughed out as he started throwing snowballs at the moving and jumping targets. By the last snowball, which missed quite a bit, he had successfully hit the targets five out of eleven times. "I think I did okay."

"Yeah you did!" Jack patted his back and he made the targets fall back into the snow normally. "Hey...I was just wondering, but where are your friends?"

"Oh...well it's a Wednesday so I imagine they're at school."

"And why aren't you?" His eyes narrowed as he began to notice how Jamie fidgeted. As he looked closer, he noticed that his friend's nose was getting red, and his cheeks were rivaling North's at the moment. "Jamie...are you sick?"

"No!" He shouted, but then he shrank slightly as his shoulders sagged in defeat when his answer earned him an impatient look from the magical guardian. "Yes..." He answered out with a heavy sigh. "But I just wanted to play with you and..."

"Jamie...you can't be out here if you're sick. You need to..." Jack started to explain but both of them suddenly heard a booming strict voice that somehow still carried a sense of caring and concern.

"Jamie Bennett!" Once they heard his mother's voice, Jack made the snow look-a-likes fall back into the blanket of snow and then they both turned to see Jamie's mother come out with her hands crossed and her hair in disarray. "You get in the house this minute! You are supposed to be sick."

"Mom..."

"If you stay out in the cold you'll get even more sick and you already had a fever of a hundred and one. Please, come inside." His mother waited at the door until she noticed her son had seemingly looked up at someone and her eyes went wide for a brief moment as she thought she saw someone there as well, but it quickly faded.

"You better go." Jack whispered. "I'll meet you inside, Jamie." Jack promised and made his way up to Jamie's window and carefully let himself in."

He watched carefully as Jamie shed his winter clothes and climbed back into bed with his red nose, rosy cheeks, and tired eyes. "Mom...I feel fine."

"I'm sure you do, but your face and fever would say otherwise." She chuckled out as she tucked her son back into bed, and then she quickly remembered her son looking up at seemingly nothing, but it definitely looked like he was actually looking at someone. Almost as if he were pouting to a friend to try and convince her that he was alright playing in the snow despite being sick. "Jamie, sweetie...what were you looking at when I asked you to come inside? It seemed like you were looking at something...or someone."

Both Jamie and Jack's eyes went wide as they stared at his mother, who seemed to genuinely want to know what her son was looking at. "I...You probably wouldn't believe me." Jamie answered without taking his eyes off his mother.

She smiled down at him and chuckled lightly. "Try me." She challenged.

"I...I was..." Jamie shifted his gaze to his desk in his room and Jack gave him an interested nod. He wanted to see what she would say to Jamie after he told her it was him that her son was playing with.

"Yes?"

"I was looking at Jack Frost. We were playing."

"Is that so?" Her eyes went wide, and for the life of him, Jack couldn't understand why she didn't just dismiss him like she had last year by calling him a mere expression. "What were the two of you doing?"

Suddenly eager, Jamie began explaining with a wide smile. "Well...we were playing in the snow he made and we were playing target practice after he made snowman versions of his friends the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, Santa, and the Sandman."

"Did he know you were sick?" She mused.

"Well...no...actually, he was wondering where all of my friends are and I told him they were at school. Then, he asked me why I wasn't...and then he found out I was sick. He was about to tell me to go back inside when you opened the door."

"Hmm...well, I guess he can't be all that bad then...can he?" She smiled at her son and noticed the look of disbelief that he was wearing. "What's wrong, Jamie?"

"It's just...last year, you said that he was just an expression."

"I did. I remember that. So...?"

"Well...it kind of sounds like you almost...believe me."

She looked down to the floor as if to contemplate her son's words. She knew how strongly he believed in such things as Santa and the tooth fairy, and he believed them with such conviction. She also knew when her son was lying to her, because he was the only child that was as bad a liar as he was. So, she took it as her son truly believed he was playing with Jack Frost. She let out a short laugh and ran a hand through her messy hair, and turned to look at her boy. "Do remember the time you tried to tell me that it wasn't you who broke my coffee mug, or all those times you tried to tell me you did your homework when you really didn't?"

"Y-Yeah?" He tilted his head, not sure where his mother was trying to go with this, and frankly, Jack wanted to know the answer to that too.

"Well...if there's anything I've learned...it's how to ALWAYS spot a liar and you're a terrible liar." She smirked at him and her son let out a nervous laugh. "I could tell when you just told me that you were playing with Jack Frost that you truly believed you were playing with him. When you lie Jamie...your nose twitches and your eyes shift. You didn't do anything like that. So, for now...if you believe that you were playing with Jack Frost...then I suppose you were. Just because I can't see something and you can...doesn't mean it's not real. It just means that you're that much more special." She looked down to her hands with a smile on her face.

"No way..." Jack whispered out as he jumped down from Jamie's desk to get a closer look at Jamie's mother.

"Hmm?" She looked up at her son. "Did you say something Jamie?"

"N-No." He answered, knowing who did indeed say something at that moment, and his eyes went wide.

"Hmm...okay..." She started and still noticed the shocked look in her son's eyes. "So..." She began, in order to try and keep Jamie in bed a little longer as it was beginning to get dark out. "I know of Santa, the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny, and the sandman...but I don't know what they look like...and now you say that you've seen Jack Frost. So tell me, what do they all look like?" She questioned with genuine curiosity at what her son might say. She expected him to say the typical things that were usually described about the mythical creatures, what she hadn't expected was the look of pure delight on her son's face and the explanation he began to give.

"Well...Santa is kind of like what people think...he is a big man, but he's not fat. He has a lot of muscle and tattoos on his arms. On one arm it says naughty and the other says nice. He has a white beard and mustache, but he's dressed like someone from Russia, and he has two swords! Oh...and then there's the tooth fairy...she really is a fairy and she has lots of colorful feathers and pink eyes, and her wings are amazingly beautiful. The Easter bunny is really a bunny but he's almost seven feet tall and he has boomerangs and sounds like he's from Australia oh yeah...he can talk, and he has awesome looking markings that look like they could be tattoos. Then, there's the sandman but the others just call him Sandy. He is a little shorter than me, but he is completely made out of sand and he has bright golden eyes and a wide smile. He has spiky hair and it looks like he wears a robe of some kind and he can make awesome things with his sand like whips to fight bad guys and dinosaurs and...oh...before I forget...Jack Frost...He looks like a teenager and he has skin as pale as the moon, his hair is as white as the snow, his eyes are so blue they're like ice, and he wears brown pants, and a blue hoodie...oh and he has a staff...but it kind of looks like a Shepherd's staff. I think that's it."

"Wow..." Her eyes were wide and she felt her own heart beating faster. She wasn't prepared for that explanation from her son. She knew he was imaginative, but this went further than imagination. He truly believed those things. Once again, her son wasn't giving any of his tell tale signs of lying, and he was so happy as he was explaining it. She felt something in her heart. Something that was lost to her childhood years and it twisted slightly as if trying to tell her to believe again in such things. She decided to not dwell on that feeling for too long and went to ask her child another question when she heard something next to her.

"Strange..." Jack said. "She looks like she believes you Jamie."

"Who said that!?" His mother asked as she leapt up from her sons bed and went into mama bear mode.

"Mom...?" Jamie asked with wide eyes as he briefly looked back and forth between Jack and his mom. Jack seemed taken back and almost scared as well as concerned and curious. "W-What did you hear?" Jamie tested, because he didn't think adults could hear or see the guardians.

"Someone...Someone said it looked like I believed you..." She admitted, feeling a bit foolish as she continued to look around the room.

"She hears me!?" Jack shouted in shock as he bumped against Jamie's desk causing a few things to fall and paper to go flying.

"W-What was that!?" She wondered loudly as she noticed Jamie's papers falling for no reason.

"Mom...calm down..." Jamie jumped from his bed and gave his mother a tight hug. "You...might not believe me...but that was Jack...Jack Frost..."

"N-No...that can't be..." She started, and she felt that familiar thing creep into her heart again.

"Um...hello...my name is Jack Frost. I'm a guardian..." Jack announced, unsure if he was even allowed to, but he figured this whole situation was completely unprecedented, and if it's wrong to do it, he will apologize to the others later. The woman in front of him immediately turned to face him and his heart nearly stopped...again.  _'She has my sister's eyes...'_ He shook his head as the thoughts tried to form further, and focused on the fact that she could still hear him. "You really can hear me, can't you?"

"Yeah...and I feel like I'm going crazy..." She admitted with a saddened expression.

"Jack...can you make it snow?" He looked to jack and received a nod.

"Jamie...don't ask that...that's...impossible..." Her words died off as it started to snow in Jamie's room. She looked at the window to see if perhaps it was left open, and it was closed shut. The latch was even locked. She felt a snowflake hit her nose and her eyes felt funny, but at the same time, they felt wonderfully cool. She blinked a few times before looking back at the desk where she heard the voice and her jaw dropped.

Jack noticed her jaw dropped in almost the same way Jamie's did last year aside from the missing tooth. "Wait a minute..." He crept closer and noticed that her mouth immediately closed and her eyes only widened. "You...can you see me?" He questioned cautiously holding his staff almost defensively. When she nodded her head, he almost dropped his staff, but caught it in time. "That's...That's not..."

"What's wrong Jack?" Jamie asked with concern in his brown eyes, and Jack looked at him with the same amount of concern, but there was also shock in his own eyes.

"I...I didn't think it was possible for adults to see me. I mean you and your friends can see me, but...I never thought..." Before he could finish he heard the familiar rumblings of Bunny approaching through a rabbit whole. He stepped to the side by Jamie and as he finally stood by Jamie, the Easter bunny popped through a whole and looked directly at Jack.

"Jack, we gotta go, Mate. North says there's somethin' going on with the globe..." The Easter bunny noticed Jack and Jamie's shocked and concerned looks and looked to where their looks were pointing. It was Jamie's mother. "What's wrong, Mate? It's not like she can see us."

"Actually, Bunny...she can." Jack stated, not taking his eyes off of her.

"The...He's..." She looked at Jamie as she pointed to the giant humanoid bunny in her son's bedroom. "That's the Easter bunny?"

"Yeah...like I told you mom..."

"Wait, wait..." The Easter bunny held his paws up as his mind began racing faster than he could for a moment. "She can see us!?" He raised his voice as he practically glared at Jack. "What did you do, Frost?"

"Hey, don't look at me, Cottontail. I'm as lost on this as you are."

Bunny carefully looked over Jack and his expressions and realized that he truly was lost on this. So, he let out a heavy sigh as he brought a paw up to his forehead and slid it down his nose. "Ya really don't know. Alright...well..." He turned his gaze to Jamie and raised his brow. "Would you happen to know how this happened, Jamie?"

"I...Jack and I were playing...I wasn't supposed to be outside because I'm sick and he figured it out and was about to send me inside when my mom beat him to it. She saw me looking up at Jack, but she didn't see him yet. She couldn't even hear him yet. Then I came to bed and she asked me who or what I was looking at and I told her she might not believe me...but she wanted me to tell her anyways, so I did. She said that I was the worst liar..."

"Well that's the truth. Yer nose twitches more than mine does when you try and fib, mate. Like when you tried to tell me that you had the most Easter eggs this year out of yer group of friends when I know for a fact it was cupcake."

"Anyway...she said I was the worst liar and that she could tell I really believed I was playing with Jack...I think that's around the time that she could hear him, but I'm not sure. Then she asked me to say what you all looked like...so I told her...and all she could say was wow...then Jack said it was strange and that it seemed like she believed me and she heard him."

"Strange indeed, mate. Usually only children can see us."

"Wait...so this isn't a dream...and I'm not going crazy?" She asked cautiously.

"No, mom...that's really them. Here..." Jamie walked towards his mom and pinched her hand hard.

"Ow!" She shouted and then looked back up and they were still there. "I'm not dreaming..."

"And you're not going crazy." Jamie added with a smile. "I told you they were real."

"Yes..." She laughed out with that familiar feeling clutching tight to her heart. "You did...but..." She looked at Jack with sad eyes, and the feeling in her heart at looking at the young boy in front of her turned into a saddened feeling. A feeling she has often felt when her children's smiling face drifted off into remorseful frowns, but Jack's eyes spoke more than mere remorseful frowns. They spoke of fun and laughter and joy, but they also spoke of sadness, fear, doubt, guilt, and a patience for something. Something Jack believes is inevitable but she had no clue what that may be. "Jack...you're so young...and yet your eyes look so sad." She said simply as her eyes looked at him saddened pity.

"Sad? Jack is the guardian of fun and mischief, he's not sad." Bunny laughed out in disbelief.

"Oh...well, please don't take this offensively Easter Bunny, but you're not a mother. Children can look as happy as can be and laughing plenty on the outside, but on the inside they're crying and sad. They can be as sure as they can be on the outside but doubtful on the inside. They can be as brave as any soldier, but be so scared on the inside. They can be as relaxed and carefree as possible but but ridden with guilt on the inside. It's a very real thing...and that's what I see in Jack's eyes."

"Well, Jack ain't yer ordinary little..." Bunny's words died out as he noticed a different look of shock cross the young guardian of fun and mischief's face. He couldn't name it, all he knew was that it didn't seem right on the boy's face. "Jack?"

"Right...um...you said that there was something wrong at the pole?" Jack shook out of his shocked daze and looked at Bunny who seemed to be looking at him with concern. "Careful with that friendly look, Bunny. I might think you care or something."

Bunny had heard the joke many times and it sounded the same every time, but this time he looked Jack in the eyes and quickly looked at Jamie's mother.  _'She's right...He's happy on the outside, but there's something wrong on the inside.'_  He cleared his throat and nodded his head, intent on keeping this knowledge to himself for now and looked back to Jack. "Yeah. North wants us all there."

"Lead the way cottontail." Jack chuckled out as he turned his gaze to Jamie. "Now, Jamie...I want you to listen to your mother. If she says that you need rest and medicine, then you need rest and medicine. Don't make me bring Sandman over early."

"Alright..." Jamie pouted.

"And...I apologize, but I don't think I know your name." Jack stated as he looked at Jamie's mother.

"My name is Elizabeth Bennett." She smiled.

"Right..." He started as he looked at her eyes that were eerily similar to his sister's from so long ago. "...Well...I think for now it would be best for the both of you if nobody knows about us, and that you know. Jamie's friend's know about us, but they can't know that you know. Jamie...that also means you can't tell them or even hint at it."

"I understand." Jamie and Elizabeth agreed in unison.

"We'll probably talk about this later." Jack added.

"C'mon, mate."

"Right behind you bunny." Bunny opened up the ground beneath him and jumped through, and Jack followed.

As they raced once more through the tunnels and to the North Pole, Bunny couldn't help but have a sinking feeling in his chest as they raced closer and closer to the real reason Jack was needed at the pole. The feeling was only brought on when he noticed what Jamie's mother had said, and it just left more and more unanswered questions in his head that he didn't have the time for at the moment.  _'Let's hope this goes well...'_


	2. An Adult Believer and Initiation Time

Once they arrived at the pole Jack immediately made his way to the globe, and didn't seem to notice anything wrong at first, but then he noticed that where Jamie's light was there seemed to be red light close to it. However, Jack could sense that this light wasn't something wrong and he didn't know how. All he knew was the red light was as warm and comforting to his heart as the other lights. "Hey...so...is this what's wrong with the globe? Because I hardly think..." Before he could finish, Sandman was instantly at his side with a curious expression. "Sandy?"

Sandy quickly turned around and made an image above his head of Jamie with his mother and pointed at the mother, and then it was followed by a question mark.

The other guardians seemed to notice the same thing and they were all wearing curious and astounded expressions. "Jack...are you aware of what the red light means?"

"No...is it why I was called here?"

"No...not at all..." Tooth answered with a look of awe in her eyes.

"Well, what does it mean?" Jack questioned, and he looked down at Bunny who seemed to be watching his actions closer for some reason, and he's noticed it since they left. Not that he would admit it, but he figures that Bunny being distracted was how he won their race.

"It mean that a grown up...an adult...believes again. This very rare occurrence, Jack. Something like this has not been done since dark ages...when everyone believed in pitch." North began explaining. "I believe Sandy is right...it seems to be Jamie's mother."

"It is...I was just there. She knew that Jamie wasn't lying when he told her he was playing with Jack Frost...and the more and more Jamie explained, the more she began to notice Jack being there. Then, she eventually heard and saw Jack. Not only him either. She saw me too. They know that they can't tell anyone that she knows."

"I don't get it..." Jack started as he floated down to stand in front of North. "Isn't that impossible?"

"Oh, no...not at all...it's just extremely rare now." Tooth began. "You see, Jack...there hasn't been a red light on the globe since the dark ages like North said. Around it's end is when we began. We fought off the dark ages. That was a very very long time ago. There's a reason that North's place is our base of operations...it's been here centuries, but it has also been here long before the dark ages ended. He is older than all of us combined...the only one that's older than he is, is MiM. Anyway, as the times changed so did the adult's belief and they forgot about us, but they allowed their children to believe and had even encouraged them, because back then if the children found any sort of happiness they should hold on to it. So you see...even if the adults didn't believe, the children did. What is curious is that in order to have a red light, that would mean an adult believes in all of the guardians and in order to do that she would have to either have a very close connection with at least one of us, or know all of us personally. She doesn't have either. Which means you just continue to be a mystery Jack."

"So basically...what you're telling me is that it should be impossible in general for her to believe like she does and for her red light to appear?"

"Well as far as the reason go, then yes...but we can explore that later, I promise." North stated with his eyes speaking truth in that promise. "In truth there was nothing wrong with globe. You are here for what we have all done. It sort of...initiation."

"Wait...I thought I already did that. I agreed to be a guardian..and listened to the trumpeting and everything."

"Not everything. You see...We are like family. We look after one another, protect, care, and discuss with each other."

"But...?" Jack asked and noticed Tooth was holding his teeth box. "Tooth, why do you have my teeth?"

"Well...remember how I told you that we were all someone before we were chosen? Well, I was telling the truth...but also...our teeth can be used for something else if we are chosen to be guardians like you were. In order for us to learn about each new guardian a bit better we..."

"You...have to go through my memories?"

"Not just that, Jack." Bunny started, and noticed how uncomfortable the winter sprite seemed to feel about the gentle way he used his name, but if he were to be honest, he couldn't help it, especially after what Jamie's mother had said to him. "We're not gonna just take a little trip down memory lane with ya. We will feel everything you felt. We will all hear yer thoughts as clear as day, feel your emotions as if they were our own, and we'll be able to feel what your power feel like through you...in a strange sense...while we are still ourselves...we will feel as if we were you. We will all be aware that this is only because of the memories, and it won't harm us...but it is a bit disorienting, and very personal. We all had to go through it. Oh, I should mention that if anything like wounds or something physically wrong goes wrong with the memory version of you, we will be fine. It will just sort of be a layered feeling and won't affect us the way it did you. Also, if there are any flying scenes we will just sort of be floating alongside you."

"Why do you sound worried...and almost...scared?" Jack questioned Bunny as he backed away until he was met with North's belly.

"Because, Jack...you're one of a kind, you existed without needing to be believed in. You saw what happened to us when we weren't believed in for a day...you're considered almost impossible...but obviously MiM had other plans."

"Apparently..." Jack muttered. "Alright...I guess if I have to...Will I feel everything over again?"

"I'm sorry, Jack." Tooth looked down with sad eyes as she quietly confirmed that he will feel everything all over again. Then, her eyes slowly looked back at Jack after a few moments and she sighed regretfully. "There is also a small thing...we will experience everything you have up to this moment. So that means..."

"You'll see what really happened when I met up with Pitch."

"Yes..." Tooth confirmed with sad eyes.

"Well...let's get this over with...I only saw one memory of my family and my sister, so I don't really no much else. Everything else was jumbled...How long will this take?"

"Quite a while, mate...you've been alive for...well...we don't exactly know how long..."

Jack sighed and nodded his head. "Alright. Let's do this."

Tooth nodded her head and placed Jack's teeth bod into the center of the globe, and there was a bright shining like that came from the center and shot through all of them, and Jack felt himself being pulled into the light and into the globe, and then almost instantly his vision faded to white.


	3. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I made up their names on the spot as I was writing. The only one I didn't have to make up a whole lot was Bunny's...I only made up his first name...I had seen him being called E. Aster Bunnymund so...I just created a first name...ANYWAY, Please don't be harsh on the names. :) Oh, and I wasn't entirely sure if Jack's last name was Overland or Overlander...I've heard it both ways...so I chose the last one. I also made it to where the other guardians were human before becoming guardians...so slight AU...I think...anyway, Thanks for reading this little side note. :)

Once the white cleared from his vision he noticed that he was in front of a cabin in a small village, and even though it was clearly within the village, it had a good bit of land behind it. However, that wasn't his main focus. What was his main focus, was that he felt strange. He looked around and noticed that he could feel the ground beneath his feet and the warmth of the nearby fire on his skin. Before he could revel in this strange feeling some more, almost in the blink of an eye, the other guardians showed up and it was as if they were really in the time period. It didn't look like the pole at all, and if anything about how his body feels is any indication, they weren't at the pole anymore. "So...what is this?"

"Mind travel. Like time travel...actually, it's extremely similar...but instead of just taking you to random points in time, it takes you to the time and place that is relevant to the person's mind." Tooth answered.

"So...we can walk around and interact and it won't actually affect anything?"

"Not exactly. You can interact with some things...but most other things, you'll just phase right through." Bunny explained.

Jack nodded his head at Bunny in understanding. "So...what's the first stop?"

"The same place we all started in journeying through our memories. Our birth." Tooth smiled at him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey what year were you born, Jack?"

"I was born on the twenty fifth of December in the year 1700."

"Wait...I thought you were just exaggerating last year when you said you had been waiting for three hundred years for an answer...It's 2013 now...That makes you three hundred and thirteen." Before he could add anything else in his stunned state at the revelation, they all heard an infants cry echo through the night, and they noticed a man rush into the house that the cry was coming from, and snow began to fall as the wind picked up slightly. "Let's go." Bunny suggested and they quickly phased through the house, and walked into the only bedroom with light coming from it.

_"Oh...Hannah, he is beautiful. What a beautiful boy you have!" The midwife said as she finished up washing the infant. "A full head of hair to boot..." The midwife handed the woman the infant and her tired expression turned into one of bliss._

_Jack watched with his own wide eyes as he remembered this woman to be his mother, and he took notice at how she had long maple colored hair, and her eyes were such a bright shade of brown they were practically the color of maple leaves in the fall. "Hello, my sweet boy. I'm your mother, Hannah, although...you should really only call me mother."_

_"Your boy is born on the twenty fifth of December. Your child has quite a special birthday." The midwife added. "What is the child's name?"_

_Hannah looked at the man who rushed in and smiled at him fondly. "James, come here, love." The man went to her side silently with eyes wide in wonder and hope. "What should his name be?" She questioned as she placed the small infant in his arms._

_"Jackson. His name will be Jackson Frost Overlander."_

_"Frost?" Hannah laughed out weakly. "Why Frost, love?"_

_"Well, the second I heard his cry it started to snow. I thought it appropriate."_

_"It sounds wonderful." Hannah agreed._

Jack felt his heart become instantly content and pleased. He looked to his fellow guardians and they seemed to feel the same as they all held relaxed smiles as they gazed at the scene before them. "So...MiM wasn't completely lying when he said my name was Jack Frost. Did he do the same thing with the rest of you?" Jack asked his friends.

"We all had a little bit of our original names placed into our guardian names." Bunny answered with a smirk.

"Were...I hate to ask this, because it sounds really personal...but were you all human once?"

"Yes, we were." Tooth answered. "MiM transformed us into the forms you see and gave us our small helpers. I have my fairies, Bunny has his sentries, North has his elves, and Sandy has his Sand and his cloud."

"Okay...so what were your real names?"

"My name was Alannia Fair Toothiana. My family wanted my name to sound as magical and as memorable as possible." Tooth answered proudly.

Jack nodded in surprise and noticed Sandman point to the top of his head. Jack read the letters as they were spelling out a name and smiled to himself when he found that Sandy was trying to tell him his name. Once he was finished he read the name with slight amusement and shock. He hadn't expected Sandy's name to actually have Sandy. His name read Sandy Edmond Thompson. "Interesting" Jack said and earned a pleased look from his golden friend.

"My name was Nicholas Northward." North answered. "However, even though most of my name is my guardian name...The only one here who's full human name  _is_  their Guardian name is Bunny."

"Do I have to North?" Bunny's ears went back in slight embarrassment.

"Yes, you have to. It's the least you can do as we're going through his memory."

"Speaking of which...why has everything stopped."

"Because you started talkin'. It'll continue with ya memories when you say 'Let's continue.'" Bunny answered, and then groaned. "My name was...is...Elliston Aster Bunnymund. Usually I just went by E. Aster Bunnymund, or Aster, or just Elliston. However, one day a dear friend of mine found it highly amusing that if he put my first initial next to my middle name and took off the last four letters of my last name...it spelled Easter Bunny. He was the only one allowed to call me that...that is...before I was made into a guardian and MiM told me my name."

"So..." Jack chuckled lightly. "You were born to be the Easter Bunny." Jack stated, but unexpectedly received a wide smile from Bunny that he hadn't seen since he enchanted Bunny last year with his snowflake of fun down in the warren when Sophie got in.

"I suppose you're right. Which would mean you were born to be Jack Frost. Ya old man said that when he heard you cry it began to snow."

"You're right." Jack replied with amusement building in his chest. "Say...are we really going to go day by day or year by year...or will it be moments that are significant to me...or were significant to me."

"They will be memories that meant a great deal to you. Where your strongest emotions were felt, where you were most yourself, monumental moments, moments that may include us and those will be the most powerful memories. So, no...it will not go day by day, but there will be quite a lot of memories to go through." Tooth explained carefully.

"Alright then...let's continue." Jack said and the scene before them did just that.

_"Hannah, he's gorgeous."_

_"He looks like you." Hannah mused._

_"Don't even joke. He looks nothing like me aside from my ears and nose. Everything else is all you, my dear."_

_Hannah chuckled at her husband as he still held Jack in his arms. "If you say so, love."_

_"I do say so." He stated with a wide smile._

_Suddenly a cold winter wind pushed open one of the windows and rushed through the house before it left almost as quickly as it came. "We must keep him warm."_

_"I agree." He replied as he gave Hannah the infant once more and moved to close the window._

"W-What was that!?" Bunny shouted as he grabbed Jack's arm as the feeling washed over him and his entire body. He felt a cold wind but he himself wasn't cold.

The other guardians looked at Jack who was breathing slightly heavier than usual and held a hand to his heart. "That was...That was the wind."

"Yeah, no kidding, mate." Bunny rolled his eyes and was about to say something else when Jack quickly shook his head.

"No...you misunderstand...I can communicate with the wind. We...sort of talk to each other in a way. I can't explain it...it's strange...but that was definitely her. She..."

"She was welcoming you to the world." North said as his hand was also over his heart. "I heard it. She said 'Welcome little one. I will be with you always.' That's not possible though...you weren't the Jack Frost we know now until later in life so how could she speak to you when you were born a normal human?"

"I...I don't..."

"No one can remember this far back, Jack." Tooth stated as she looked at him with sympathy. "However, we all heard it and felt it. Maybe it has something to do with how you existed for so long without anyone...well..."

"Without anyone believing in me? Yeah...let's  _hope_  we find that one out. Let's continue."

_At his words the scene changed in a bright white light and as it faded they noticed it wasn't winter, but spring. They looked around for Jack, wondering what version of him they'll see, but then they saw a slightly more interesting sight off in the distance just outside the village and towards the pond. "Hey...those are my googies." Bunny stated with pride as his eggs walked into their places and then they all heard doors begin to open. "It's Easter!" Bunny shouted in excitement. "Wait...why would we be here?"_

_"Remember Bunny...if it involves us...then we will see it. Now, where is little Jack anyway?" North questioned, but he was quickly answered as a door behind them opened after the rest. It was the same house Jack was born in._

_"Jackson, come here..."_

_"Ma...Ma...Ma! I want to go get eggies!"_

_"I know you do." She giggled. "But you know what your father and I said about trying to keep you warm."_

_"It not even cold!" They all walked closer to get a good look at the small version of Jack and noticed that his hair was still a beautiful medium shade of brown and his eyes were a golden brown._

_"Yes, but it's been windy. With how small you are, I'm afraid you may blow over."_

_"I won't fall over! I strong! I wanna go get eggies!"_

_"I know...say...what color are your favorite eggs?" She asked as she snuck a small over coat over his shoulders._

_"The really bright gween ones! They super pwetty!"_

_"That's nice, love." She said as she gave little Jack his basket that seemed to have a handmade stuffed bunny inside. "Now, you go and collect your 'eggies' and be careful. Aunt Layla is going to be watching you while your father and I clean the house."_

_"Thank you Ma!" The boy beamed and then quickly noticed he had a coat on. "Hey! I no need coat!"_

_"That's up for debate...another time. Go and have fun, Jackson."_

_The toddler beamed up at his mother and ran towards where the other kids were gathering. However, he didn't make it too far when he tripped on a rock and almost landed his head on one of the large rocks that were placed around the fire that roared at night. Then, the wind picked up and knocked him away from the large rock and landed him on his back. "Ow..." Little Jack rubbed the back of his head and almost on instinct the guardians did the same._

"You know..." Jack groaned out as his head hurt from the fall. "This is going to be really awkward."

"We know, mate. We all had to go through it..." Bunny stated as he finally brought his hand down. "The curious thing at the moment is that the wind came to your aid and kept you from getting a much more serious injury."

"Yeah...Let's continue."

_Little Jack stood up and brushed off his close and giggled. "Thank you, wind." He muttered as he ran once again towards the other children._

_The guardians, Jack included, were all stunned, but didn't say anything. "Jackson, there you are. We've been waiting for you."_

_"Sorry, Aunt Layla." He smiled up and started hopping up and down pretending to be a rabbit._

_"Are you pretending to be the Easter bunny?"_

_"Bunny Bunny Bunny!" He chanted with laughter as he continued to hop._

_"Do you really like Easter that much?" Layla asked with a grin on her face and fondness in her eyes._

_"It's my favorite howiday!"_

_"HoLiday. There's an L sweetie."_

_"Ho...Holiday? Holiday!"_

_"Very good!" Layla patted little Jack's shoulder and crouched down to him. "Can you tell me what part is your favorite about Easter?" She questioned and noticed the curious look on the boy's face as if he couldn't quite decided just yet. "Is it the eggs?"_

_"No...not that..."_

_"Is it the colors?"_

_"Not that either..."_

_"What about the hunt for the eggs?"_

_"No..."_

_"The sweets afterwards?"_

_"No..."_

_Layla looked at the boy curiously and looked at her husband who shared her curious and confused expression. "Then...what makes it your favorite holiday?"_

_"Hmm...Well...I really like the Easter Bunny even though I not seen him yet...but...I guess...Hope."_

_"Hope?" She questioned, astonished at the four year old's answer._

_"Yeah...I always feel hopeful when Easter comes. Hopeful that Ma smiles, Hopeful that I can play with my friends, Hopeful that there's lots of colors, Hopeful that everyone is happy, Hopeful that the plants are happy, and Hopeful that the Easter Bunny is happy. He gives kids like me all over the wide world all these eggs...that's a lot of eggs. He must work really hard. Also..."_

_"There's more?" She laughed out._

_"Yeah...Also...as much as I like winter I love watching spring arrive. There's new beginnings and new life! New plants and animals! It's...more than pwetty...it's..."_

_"Beautiful?" She asked._

_"Yea! That word. It's Bootiful."_

_She giggled and shook her head. "Jackson, repeat after me. Bee..."_

_"Bee..."_

_"You..."_

_"You..."_

_"Tea..."_

_"Tea..."_

_"Full..."_

_"Full..."_

_"Good now put them together."_

_"Bee...you...tea...full...Be...autiful...Beautiful!" He jumped up and down in excitement. "Beautiful! Easter is Beautiful!"_

Jack glanced a look at the guardians and noticed how much joy was in their eyes. "Ahem..." He started and noticed the joy quickly shifted to curiousness, and wonder as the scene stopped.  _'It seems they go back to their normal selves when I stop the scene.'_ He thought to himself.

"Mate...I had no idea..." Bunny started, but couldn't finish. His heart felt full and a strange mist was coming from his eyes and it was starting to irritate his fur.

"You...you were just tiny four year old Jack." North said as his astonishment reached his Wonder filled eyes. "You had so much understanding..."

Jack let out a short chuckle as he noticed that Bunny of all people was looking at him with a look of not only shock, but confusion. "Hey...this may sound weird but is it possible for me to be able to talk to one of you without the others hearing? It's not bad I promise, I just want to talk to Bunny."

North had a proud and surprise smile as he nodded. "All you have to do is say full name and we won't be hear or see anything you say. It will be like you stand still until you done."

Jack nodded and looked at Bunny who seemed slightly worried for some reason. "Elliston Aster Bunnymund." After he said his name he felt a physical shift almost. He looked at his other guardians and it seemed as if time had stopped around them.

"Well Jackson Frost Overlander, you wanted to talk to me?"

Jack looked to where Bunny was standing and where he thought he heard Bunny, but there was a man in his place. A human man. He was well built and had lightly tanned skin. There were Tattoos that perfectly matched the ones Bunny had plus a few more going up and down his arms and the exposed side of his chest. The man in front of him wore a beautifully decorated cloth that held different shades of reds and oranges along with some green here and there. The cloth went from the right shoulder to the left hip and continued down into a split cloth that laid gently over black pants that, to Jack, resembled a Genie's pants, and he was barefoot. They had some red decoration and appeared to be baggy. He looked back up at the man in front of him and noticed there was a slight smirk on the man's face, he had Bunny's impossibly green eyes as well as black hair that seemed to spike and go down to the middle of his shoulders. "I...I was actually wanting to talk to...wait...you can't be..."

The man in front of him smirked mischievously as he slowly walked forward to Jack. "Tell me, Frostbite...what  _can't_  I be?"

The eyes and the smirk were one thing...the tattoos another...but the voice and the nickname were a dead giveaway, and Jack nearly fell in shock. "Y-You're Bunny!?"

"Well..." The man in front of him looked at his own form and opened and closed his hands as if testing them out before returning his gaze to Jack. "In this form I suppose you could just call me Aster. What did you want to ask me, mate?"

"I...I...YOU'RE BUN...er...Aster!?" He shouted out, already knowing the answer, but he still couldn't believe it.

"I think we've established that." He chuckled as amusement was evident in his eyes. "This is somewhat of what I looked like when I was a human. Now come on...we got a lot of memories to look through..."

"You um...right...It's just...when you...well...when we found out my favorite holiday was Easter and the things my four year old self said...you seemed a bit off."

"I was...am...It's a bit hard to explain, mate." Aster stated as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Something's been off about you since we left Jamie's...what's wrong?"

"Well...I noticed something his mother said...she's right...there is something sad in your eyes and it...it almost doesn't belong there, mate. Then, I see...feel what you feel...the honesty in your words, the joy in your heart, the pure...hope in you...It's almost overwhelming, mate. You're so...it sounds funny, but you're so pure here...and it just makes me remember what Jamie's mother said, and I'm wondering...what happened...what went wrong...I know I'll find out...but still..."

"Wait...what do you mean it's overwhelming?"

"Well...you see, we all saw each others memories...like we told you. We all saw North's and tooth's and Sandman's, and mine...but even with their childhood and everything past that...nothing has ever been this overwhelming. Nothing has felt...this pure. Not even from North's memories and he was here before Me, Tooth, and Sandy. You're a wonder, mate. The thing is...we don't know why, and as far as we know, the wind itself hasn't talked to anyone aside from MiM and mother nature, and even then she did as they said...she's acting on her own with you. Aside from all of that...the other stuff that makes it overwhelming is the amount of emotion you carry in your heart and soul, Jack."

Jack looked up at Aster with wide eyes. "The amount of emotion in my heart and soul?"

"We feel what you feel...remember? To us...or at least to me...it feels as if nothing can get you down. It feels like...if you tell them I said this you'll be wearing a boomerang in your shoulder."

"I promise...what is it?"

"It...feels like a never ending song is going on inside your soul, and it has a powerful and upbeat tune that can't be heard by anyone else but you...however, even with us being here...I don't hear the music, I can only feel it...There's also the fact that both your heart and soul...they feel like...all at once...everything we represent. I represent Hope, North represents Wonder, Sandy represents dreams and imagination, Tooth represents memories...good or bad...and usually a child would only feel one or two of those at once...but it's like you feel...and  _are_...all of them  _at once_." Aster laughed slightly and shook his head. "Crikey...it was a helluva lot easier to talk to you when I was rabbit. Anyway, that's why I was practically speechless when you stopped the stream of the memory. Now...like I said...we have a lot of memories to look through. To change me back and get them back you have to say my name again."

"O-Okay..." Jack had more questions but he figured that he would wait to ask them. "Elliston Aster Bunnymund."

Right before his eyes there was a bright glow for a brief moment and Aster was once again Bunny. "That's better. Sorry, I haven't been in human form in a very long time."

"Wait...you saw Bunny in his human form?" Tooth questioned with a jealous whine in her voice. "I wish I could see it!"

"Same." North agreed as he crossed his arms with a surprised grin.

Sandy nodded his head as fast as he could to say that he wanted to see it too.

"Wait...I thought you all journeyed through his memories...didn't you see him then?"

"Yeah, but it's not the same. We saw who he was then...not who he is now. Our human forms...our bodies retain the same shape and hair style but that's all we keep. Our clothes, eye color, tattoos, hair color...those all change. We have different human forms now. They are only similar to our original ones in the shape aspect...for example I know Bunny is very well built and muscular, and he has spiky hair that goes down between his shoulders...but that's all I know about his human form. You're the first to see it. It's almost kind of personal." Tooth stated with a small hint of jealousy in her tone.

"Way to make me feel violated by a damn winter sprite." Bunny joked and gave a short nod to Jack. "Just kidding, mate. Now...what do ya say we continue with yerr memories?"

"Let's continue." Jack said as he returned Bunny's smirk.


	4. True Believer

_The vision in front of them continued and there were children including a little four year old Jack, standing behind a ribbon. "Ready..." Layla started. "Set..." She held a knife against the ribbon. "GO!" She cut the ribbon and the children were off. The guardians made sure to try and keep up with Jack as they had to remember that the scene wasn't going to move for them._

_"I found one!" Jack jumped up and down and collected up a green egg that held a mixture of pink and purple. He carefully placed it in his basket and continued on to collect more eggs. Meanwhile, the guardians felt the pure joy in little Jack's heart. It wasn't long before Jack's clumsiness got the better of him and he fell tumbled into a few shrubs and onto the other side of them. "Ow...I..." Little Jack looked up and was met with pure green eyes and a large Bunny. "You must be the Easter Bunny." Jack smiled up at the large crouching Bunny._

"Whoa! Hold up!" Jack shouted in pure shock.

"Oh Strewth! That little boy...the little boy that I...that was you!?"

"The little boy that you what?" Jack wondered curiously.

"That I considered to be my first true believer. I mean yeah I had believers but they believed in me...not able to see me...and they couldn't see me, because I was hiding. The first few times I walked out in the open...I scared a bunch of children...but they still believed...but this boy... _YOU_ , Jack...This was the first time that a child saw me...and didn't freak out or run away or look scared. This was the first time a child automatically knew I was the Easter Bunny, smiled at me, and believed."

"And why are you telling me this now, and not when we were talking?"

"Mate...That was a long time ago...You lost your memories for some reason...a reason we will no doubt find out, but I didn't completely lose mine...but You couldn't possibly expect me to make the connection of that boy in 1705 to you. You were to turn five that year..."

"I suppose that makes sense..." Jack relented. "Let's continue."

_The scene continued and Bunny's eyes went wide. "You're not afraid?"_

_"Should I be?" Little Jack tilted his head in confusion as he waited for Bunny's answer._

_"Well, most kids are." He answered with a shocked expression._

_"I guess I'm not like most kids." Little Jack smiled up at the large Bunny._

_"I guess so..." Bunny chuckled with wide eyes. "So, how did you know I was the Easter Bunny and not just a random giant bunny?"_

_Almost immediately at his question, Little Jack busted out laughing. "You're funny!"_

_"No...not really..." Bunny started feeling slightly offended by the little boy._

_"No really you are...you really think I knew you were the Easter Bunny because you're a giant...you know...you don't even look like a rabbit..."_

_"Oh?"_

_"Yeah...you look like a Kangaroo."_

_"I'm not a Kangaroo, mate. I'm a Bunny. The Easter Bunny."_

_"Yeah...I know...but you being a giant bunny wasn't how I knew you were the Easter Bunny...it's 'cause you have Hopeful eyes...Easter egg markings on your arms and head. Oh, and you have a basket filled with eggs, and you smell like spring time. I guess it makes sense that you want to see all the hard work you did huh..."_

_Bunny's eyes were wide as he stared down at the boy in front of him. "K-Kid...that's a lot to notice at once. Are you sure you're not..."_

_"Not what?"_

_"Not just pulling my leg or somethin'."_

_"I would never do that...it sounds like it might hurt really bad."_

_Now it was Bunny's turn to laugh and he was laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach and rolling on the ground. "You're a wonder mate! North would get a kick out of you!"_

_"North?"_

_"I guess you would call him Santa Clause or something like that."_

_"You're friends with Santa?" Jack's eyes lit up in surprise as his jaw dropped._

_"Well...yeah I guess so. We argue about who's holiday is more important but yeah...I guess we're friends."_

_"Why?"_

_"Pardon?"_

_"Why do you fight about something like that?"_

_"Well...because I think my holiday is more important and he thinks his is more important."_

_"That's silly."_

_"Well...no offense, mate...you don't know what it takes into planning these things."_

_"That's not what should matter."_

_"Alright, holiday expert. What should matter?" He asked as he finally composed himself the rest of the way and sat up to face the small boy again._

_"If the children and those who enjoy your holiday are happy. What should matter is both of you doing your best to make children happy...like I'm happy."_

_"My, my, mate..." Bunny looked at him with amused eyes. "You have quite the perspective for a three year old."_

_"FOUR!" Little Jack shouted. "I'm four years old, Easter Bunny."_

_"Very well..." Bunny held up his hands apologetically. "I apologize." Bunny let out a soft laugh. "So, how did a four year old gain such a perspective on things?"_

_"I listen really well to my Ma, Pa, Aunt, Uncle, and Windy."_

_"Who's windy?"_

_"Jackson!" Layla called out looking for her small clumsy nephew._

_"I got to go. I hope we meet again Easter Bunny. I hope we can be friends someday." Little Jack ran out of the bushes before he could see the large smile on Bunny's face and the scene changed once more around them._

"You wanted to be friends with me..." Bunny stated as quickly as he could before the next scene began.

"Yeah...I suppose I did. You have to understand...this is the first time I'm experiencing these memories too, and their flooding back to me along with extra memories here and there."

"You were...Everything you said as a four year old...you truly meant them." Bunny felt his breathing getting faster, and his heart was racing.

"Bunny, are you alright?" Tooth asked with genuine sisterly concern.

"It's a bit...It's a bit overwhelming for me...I thought it would be for all of you as well..." He furrowed his brows as he noticed that the other guardian's obviously found it a bit overwhelming but not as much as he did.

"No...It's curious that's for sure...and it's a bit much to process and feel at once, especially with him being like he was when he was a child...but I wouldn't say it's completely overwhelming...just a little bit." Tooth explained.

"Well...I can hardly breathe..."

Sandman made a question mark appear above his head to ask why it was affecting Easter Bunny the way it was.

"Good question, Sandy. Bunny...do you have any idea why it may be affecting you so much?" Jack asked with curious eyes.

"No! I'm telling you...it's like I'm feeling everything ten fold, and if what you guys say is true...I am."

"Wait...could it have something to do with me being your first believer? The first one  _not_  to run away from you and accept you after seeing you?"

"It...It might be." Bunny said as he clutched a paw to his chest.

"Every one of us has one special believer. There will never be another like them. Mine was a little girl in Ireland, and Sandy hadn't gotten to her yet. She saw me, and didn't try and swat at me, or push me away...she looked at me with a wide smile, and gave me her two teeth that she put under her pillow. That was a very long time ago." Tooth explained with a fond smile.

"Mine was small child in Russia. She lived in home with five sisters and four brothers. They didn't have much money so I may have given some extra presents. Unfortunately in me doing so...I got caught and she noticed bag in hand. She ran up and hugged me as she watched me place down presents. Was during first five years of being guardian. Sandy's was a child that was eight years old and he had always had trouble sleeping. One night he watch as Sandy came into his room and he waved at him. Sandy silently said Hi to him, and the young boy pointed to his ears indicating he was deaf. Sandy was delighted and he formed a symbol above head that indicated he was mute and showed many different fun images before making the boy fall to sleep. When we went through Bunny's memory...this memory not show, but I also know we did not see first true believer. He was guardian before getting first true believer."

"It actually kind of makes sense..."

"What does Tooth?" Jack inquired curiously.

"Well...if you're really Bunny's first true believer like Jamie is for you...and you're also a guardian and we're going through your memories..."

"Your hearts are connected..." North stated with realization pouring out of his voice. "Oh...Bunny...this may be a painful ride for you."

"Wait...My heart is connected to Frostbite's? How!?"

"Like you said...He's your first true believer...AND he's a guardian. As your first true believer he's already going to be immortalized in your heart...but since he is also a guardian..."

"He's in my heart...like a brother...and I'm going through the memories...of my first true believer...who is now like a brother to me..." Bunny finished as it finally dawned on him what they were saying.

"Yeah...pretty much. Like it or not...the two of you share a bond. A bond that's far different than any of us or even any spirit has experienced before. This may be very difficult for you, Bunny...I'm sorry." Tooth placed a reassuring hand on both Jack and Bunny. "Jack...keep an eye on Bunny."

"I will...are you alright Bunny?"

"Yeah...well, no...but we need to get through this."

"Alright...let's continue."

The scene continued and they were brought to a slightly older version of Jack. He must've been about six, but they all noticed that he seemed a bit thin for a child. "Mate, I know we said we would continue...but why are you always so thin? I mean, now that I think about it, you're thin now...but as a child?"

"My family wasn't the richest family in the village, but we did have a small farm and lots of sheep. I ate a little here and there, and I mostly played with the other kids...at least that's what my extra memories are telling me."

"Right..." Bunny started sadly, but couldn't find the words that were supposed to come after that.

"Let's continue."

_Little Jack rushed into the house with a joyful smile and the guardians followed gladly as they felt excitement and anticipation in their hearts. "Is she here? Is she Here?" Jack jumped up and down as fast as he could in front of his mother who seemed exhausted._

_"Yes, she's here. Although, I don't know how you knew she was girl. Hey, since she's here, would you like to name her?"_

_Jack walked further into the room and peered at the cute little bundle in his mother's arms. "Sarah. That's a good and proper name for her. Sarah Autumn Overlander"_

_"Autumn?" His mother asked as she looked at her small sleeping child._

_"Yeah...it's the beginning of Fall, and Aunt Layla told me it's another word for Fall."_

_"Well, you and your father have a talent for names then. I believe it suites her just fine. Would you like to hold her?"_

_Little Jack nodded frantically as he cautiously held out his arms. "I've been practicing!"_

_"I know you have." His mother giggled._

_Little Jack took her into his arms and he held her securely. He looked down at her and felt immense pride and joy. "I swear on my life that I will make sure you are always smiling, that you have so much fun, that you are filled with hope, that you can experience the wonders of our small world, that you will always have good memories, and if I can, I will help your dreams come true. I swear to protect you and be the best big brother ever!"_

_"That's a mighty powerful promise, Jackson." Little Jack's father came in with a proud smile and a large basket filled with food._

_"Honestly, I don't know where he gets it. He is only six years old, yet sometimes he can act more like an adult than most adults we know."_

_"We are just that much more blessed to have such a child." He told his loving wife, then he looked to Jack. "Will you truly be a good big brother like you swore? You know...when you swear it...It's more powerful than any promise. You know that?"_

_"Yeah, I know...I'll do everything I said, and I'll be the best big brother ever!"_

_The man chuckled, and ruffled his son's hair. "I don't doubt that for a second, Jackson."_

"Jack...you..." North started but he found he couldn't finish.

"What?" Jack questioned as he noticed the proud and joyful looks on their faces. He knew that expression was there because of his feelings, so he waited for a moment, and then their expressions were replaced with Stunned pride.

"You basically swore to be all of us at once...for her. You swore to be her guardian. Did you hear what the wind told you after you made that promise?" Tooth asked.

"I...can't say I was paying attention to the wind at the moment." Jack admitted, though he knew he heard something in the back of his mind.

"She said, 'And I will make sure that you can keep that promise all your life.' Well...you're still alive so how can the wind keep you to that promise?"

"I...I don't know...that's a good point...I'm sure we'll find out. Hey..." Jack turned his expression to a now tearful Bunny. "Bunny...you okay?"

"This is definitely going to be a worse ride for me than having to ride the sleigh a hundred times in a row...Jack...?"

"Y-Yes?" He stuttered, still not used to how Bunny was using his name.

"Say my full name again."

"Bunny?" Tooth asked with furrowed brows and confusion written in her eyes.

"It'll be fine, Tooth...He wants to speak to Jack in human form...right?"

"Yeah...thanks North." Bunny admitted and gave a nod at Jack.

"Um...are you sure, Bunny?" Jack questioned.

"Just do it, Frostbite."

"Alright..." He sighed out. "Elliston Aster Bunnymund." Time seemed to stop like before, and just like before, Bunny was suddenly human. "So um...why did you..."

"Well...it's a bit difficult for you to take me seriously in here if I'm a tearful Bunny, and seeing as I can't help it. I'm just gonna let you know now..."

"I know...my emotions are overwhelming to you...you also said something about my heart and soul."

"Yes...but that wasn't exactly what I was going to say. What I was going to say was that ya better not make fun of me for your emotions affecting me tenfold. Also...Thank you."

"For what?"

"For swearing that you'll make sure she's hopeful. I can feel that you had every stubborn intention of making that true, and also..."

"There's more? Why...Aster...I never knew you cared." Jack smirked at him as he rolled his eyes.

"Shut it ya bloody show pony, I'm tryin' to actually be sincere here."

"Alright...I apologize. What were you going to say?"

"I'm actually glad we're walking through your memories. You see...we all kind of knew each other and acknowledged each other before we all came together as guardians...but we knew next to nothing about you until just last year...well...I thought I had met ya in '68 but...anyway, even now...we're finding out so much more. That's it...that's what I wanted to say. I'm glad we're getting to get to know you like this...even if it's practically torturing me."

"That's actually very sweet. Thank you for that, Aster."

"You're welcome, Snowflake."

"Careful...you almost sound genuinely caring."

"Ahhh shut it and just say my name so we can get back to yer memories."

"Whatever you say, Elliston Aster Bunnymund." Jack grinned mischievously and before any of the guardians could ask, he looked around him and smiled. "Let's continue."

_The strange thing about how this next scene appeared was that it wasn't the shift with a bright light, but with an eerie black glow before it evened out. It was dark out and there were a lot of adults out with their children. There were candles lit in many places, and music was able to be heard. It sounded and looked like a small festival as people danced and held joyous laughter. However, they couldn't find Little Jack. So, they looked through the crowd some more and still couldn't spot him. Then they heard just outside the village a small cry. They rushed towards the sound and were shocked at what they found._

_There were two children that must've been anywhere from ten to twelve years old and they were looming over Jack who was protecting his little sister who could be no older than two, which would make Jack about seven in this memory because it was still summer for now. "You don't belong here, Frostbite!"_

_"Yes, I do! I live in the village just like you do!"_

_"You know what my mother says? She says that our village didn't get much wind at all...and then you were born, and suddenly the entire village is windy everyday and through all the seasons. You're a freak, face it!"_

_"I am not! I'm just different that's all!"_

_"Hey...you know what..." The older boy grinned darkly. "I bet the baby brat is a freak too!"_

_"Yeah, you're right Jake, I mean...Jackson here was born first, who knows, maybe it runs in the family."_

_"Exactly what I was thinking, Lukka."_

_"Hey! What do you kids think you're doing?" A young woman appeared, and she seemed to be about fifteen years old. "What are you doing to my little cousins!"_

_"Isabella!" Jack cried out. "Take Sarah!"_

_Without thinking, Isabella ran towards them and grabbed Sarah and ran to go get help for her little cousin. "Awe, look at him...he has to get his older cousin's help...and she's a girl!"_

_"I don't need her help in fighting you. I needed her to get Sarah to safety."_

_"You're gonna wish you didn't do that, Frostbite!"_

_They went to punch him, but Jack, with the help of the wind surrounding him, gracefully dodged the punch by spinning around them. "Get back here!"_

_"No!"_

_Before little Jack could do anything else, the younger out of the two menacing boys grabbed underneath his arms as quick as he could and held him like that. "You're gonna be still, you freak!"_

_The older boy punched jack twice, once in the stomach and once in the face and the younger finally let him go, but little Jack knew they weren't done, so he ran into the forest. He could hear the boys chasing after him, and knew they wouldn't give up, but for once, he was glad that he was faster than the other kids. After passing a few more trees he thought he was in the clear when he suddenly bumped into someone. He fell on his but and looked up. There was a man with pale skin, golden eyes, black hair, and black clothes, and for some reason he was more stunned that Jack ran into him, than Jack was that there was a man like this in the middle of the forest. "You...you bumped into me! How...Oh...you're scared...but what of?" Pitch narrowed his eyes together as he leaned down to the small boy._

"PITCH!?" The guardians shouted collectively in shock, Jack included.

"How is he there? How did I bump into him? What in the..." Jack couldn't wrap his mind around it at all. Pitch was there in his past and for some reason, his younger self wasn't afraid of pitch but of the two boys.

"Only one way to find out, mate. I just...they called you Frostbite...I..."

"It's okay, Bunny. I know you don't mean it like they did. So, it's fine. Let's continue!" Jack shouted eagerly.

_"I...I'm not afraid!"_

_"Oh, sweet little child...I know you are. You see, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's knowing when people are afraid. What are you afraid of child? Are you afraid of me?"_

_"Why should I be afraid of you?"_

_"Because, I'm the boogeyman. My name is Pitch Black."_

_"That's still no reason to be afraid of you."_

_"Excuse me?" Pitch breathed out in disbelief at the small eight year old in front of him._

_"That's your name. Not who you are. you've done nothing to me...so I see no reason to be afraid of you."_

_A genuine smile appeared on Pitch's face and it unnerved the guardians in their own emotions, but they didn't say anything as they were curious how this might play out. "What do you mean about my name?"_

_"Well...Your name may be scary, but you're not. It's just your name. You're THE boogeyman like Easter bunny is THE Easter bunny...but you said your name is Pitch Black...and you haven't scared me yet...so I'm not afraid. It's up to you whether you're scary or not, and as for me...I'm not afraid of you." Oh...and my name is Jackson Overlander by the way."_

_"What a strange child..." Pitch looked at the small eight year old with astonishment in his eyes, and if the guardians didn't know any better, they would say a slight fondness. "Tell me...who did that to your face?"_

_"Get back here Frostbite!"_

_"Them!" Jack squeaked out, quickly remembering just how much his stomach and face hurt._

_Pitched glared darkly as he seemed to feel the fear rise even higher in the child. He looked out to the forest and noticed two boys racing towards them. "Ha! No where to run to Frostbite! You're out here alone with us and everyone else is enjoying the festival."_

_"Jackson...they can't see me, because they don't believe in me...but they can still see what I can do."_

_"What?" Jack asked Pitch, but apparently one of the boys thought he was talking to them._

_"I said you're alone out here with us! Oh, and we picked up a little something on the way." The older boy smirked evilly as he held up a small cut off branch that didn't make it to a wood pile. The boy lifted up the piece of wood and was about to strike Little Jack when suddenly, Pitch quickly moved Jack away from the boy and behind himself. "Quit dodging you freak! No one is gonna miss you much!"_

_"Jackson, close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you...Now!"_

_Little Jack did as he was told as he closed his eyes and covered them with his small hands, obviously unable to see anything that would happen, but the guardians were in shock as they continued to watch what happened while his eyes were closed. Pitch called forth all the darkness he could muster, and he made the trees take on the illusion of dangerous creatures, and the darkness crept up to the two bullies like an animal to it's prey until almost the entire Forest was left, much to his name, Pitch Black. The only amount of light that was left was the way out of the forest, and the two boys ran away taking the path gladly. Once they were gone, Pitch turned around to face Little Jack, and gently placed his hands on his arms. "You can open them now, Jackson."_

_Little Jack slowly uncovered his eyes and he was met with a dark forest that was quickly receding back to it's normal nighttime glow. He was also looking at a worried Pitch Black. "What's wrong...and what did you do? Where did they go?"_

_"They um...I scared them away. If you really want to know, I made the forest very dark and scary and they ran away. I imagine they'll be back in the village soon."_

_"Oh...so you CAN be scary."_

_"I can be extremely frightening when I want to be."_

_"I believe you, and thank you."_

_"Thank you? Child...you're thanking the creature that just sent two other children running away."_

_"Yes...but if you didn't then I would be hurt really bad...and I don't know if anyone would be able to find me this far out...and they definitely wouldn't have brought me back to the village. Also, there is another good thing...They won't go into the forest in the middle of the night now...sometimes it can be dangerous. So the fact that they're probably scared of the forest at night now...it actually kind of makes them safer now."_

_"You wish for the ones who hurt you...to be safe?"_

_"Well...I don't want to hurt them. Their mean, and awful...but that doesn't mean I have to be just so they won't hurt me anymore. I'm gonna be myself...and besides...I kept my promise...I made sure my sister was safe first...then I let myself be scared."_

_"You let yourself be scared?"_

_"Yes...everyone is afraid of something. My Aunt Layla says that anyone who pretends they aren't afraid of anything is a fool. I'm no fool. I'm scared of a bunch of things...but I face my fears as best I can...I just wasn't that good at it this time."_

_"Child...you are strange and remarkable." Pitch laughed out an honest laugh. There wasn't anything malicious in it. It was pure and honest and dumbfounded. "You should probably get back. There very well could be people looking for you, and don't take this the wrong way, Jackson...but I hope we never meet again."_

_"Why not?"_

_"If we meet again...it means either that I have full strength or that you're afraid of something...I'm not at full strength...and I likely won't be for hundreds of years...so basically I'm telling you I don't want to see you afraid. Now go...there is a teenager that has become afraid of not being able to find you."_

_"Alright...goodbye Pitch."_


	5. Jack's Death and Rebirth

They noticed the scene was about to change again, but Jack wanted to stop it before it switched. "Well that was strange..." He said as he waited for the other guardians to adjust.

"Yer tellin' me, mate!" Bunny stated as his breathing calmed. He was getting used to his feelings being amplified, but his own emotions mixing with Jacks was still disorienting like he told Jack it would be. "You knew Pitch?"

"Apparently...I'm only just now remembering."

"Well I can say for certain that I never seen Pitch like that. You surprised Pitch, Jack. You made him protective. You made it look like he had heart." North explained.

"I guess so..."

Sandy made symbols above his head, basically asking just how many memories were they going to see before Jack's transformation.

"I don't know Sandy." Jack answered honestly. "Let's continue."

_The memories that continued after were mild in comparison and brief. They were of Little Jack growing up and holding to his promise to keep Sarah's heart pure and full of laughter, wonder, hope, and fun as he told her many different stories. Some true, some exaggerated, and others were completely made up. Other memories consisted of him playing with the other children, and they noticed that after the Pitch incident he was no longer bullied, but he wasn't feared either...so they knew that the boys didn't say anything. They must've watched thirty or more mild yet good memories practically flash by, which did include a lot of hopscotch with his sister, but then they were engulfed in a white light once more...and this memory seemed slower than usual, and they instantly noticed how much this Jack looked like their Jack but without the wintery look._

_"Alright, Jackson...these last two gifts are from your father and I and they are for both you and Sarah."_

_"Oh...open it Jack! Open it Jack!" Sarah pleaded with enthusiasm as she jumped up and down._

_The guardian's felt his joy, amusement, and excitement as if it were their own, and Bunny was hopping a little too at how excited he was. "Alright...are you sure I should open it?"_

_"Yes! I'ts Christmas and it's your birthday and they said one of them is for me."_

_"Ah...so that's the real reason." Jack laughed out. "Well...I guess I have no choice." He opened the box and gave Sarah hers so she could open hers as well. Once both boxes were open they were both smiling widely. "Skates!" Jack shouted enthusiastically. "I've been practicing without shoes...but I didn't think...Thank you!"_

"No..." Jack said sadly to the vision and it stopped.

Bunny immediately tore his gaze to the seemingly broken Jack. "Jack...are ya okay?"

"No...This is...You're going to find out how I became the Jack Frost you know..."

"How old are ya in this? And how is that a bad thing, mate?"

"I'm fourteen here. Just...Let's continue." Jack deflated and allowed the scene to play itself out.

_"Mother, Mother, Mother!" Sarah started as she excitedly bounced some more._

_Knowing what her daughter wanted she chuckled light as she nodded her head. "Only if you let Jackson take you."_

_"Jack, let's go!"_

_"Alright!" He said happily with pure joy in his eyes. "But we have to get our winter clothes on."_

_"Okay!"_

_They got dressed and had their shawls on, ready to leave. "Oh, Jack...here..." Jack's father stepped forward and gave him the staff that the guardians know and recognize._

_"You're staff, Father?"_

_"I think it's time you began helping me with the farm. You've always wanted to, anyway, and you deserve a proper staff. This thing will be like a good friend to you...It will be a part of you. An extension of yourself, you understand?" Jack nodded with pride and understanding radiating in his eyes. "Now, I won't ask you to work on your birthday, but tomorrow I will show you everything. For now, go have fun with your sister."_

_"Yes, Father!"_

_Jack and Sarah made to leave when they were suddenly stopped by their mother. "The two of you have fun...and be careful!"_

_Jack laughed out as his sister pulled on him to keep going. He looked at her briefly and laughed a little more. "We will."_

_Once they made it to the pond they found a patch of land with no snow and put on their skates. Sarah was the first to go out onto the ice, and she was quickly followed by Jack who laughed as he tried to get used to his new skates. His sister appeared to be a natural, but he had his bare feet to skate with usually. Just when he was getting used to the contraptions on his feet he heard a sickening sound that made his heart drop. The ice cracked, and it wasn't underneath his feet. He quickly turned around to see his sister trembling above the cracked ice. He frantically took of his ice skates, and in doing so, dropped the staff. Once he was barefoot he set his shoes off to the side as he crouched down. He felt his breath still as he tried to calm himself. "It's okay It's okay...Don't look down...just look at me." He put his hand over his racing heart._

_"Jack...I'm scared..." Her feet shifted slightly and the ice continued to crack._

_"I...I know...I know..." He looked down as the ice beneath him began to crack as well. "...But you're going to be alright. you're not gonna fall in. Uh...We're gonna have a little fun instead!" He stated, trying to sound reassuring._

_"No we're not!"_

_"Would I trick you?" He asked as he tried to inch forward as gently as he could._

_"Yes! You always play tricks!"_

_"Well..." Memory Jack laughed out nervously. "Alright...well...Well not this time. I promise...I promise you're gonna be...you're gonna be fine. You have to believe in me..." The guardians let out an audible gasp in shock, but their Jack didn't say anything...he just watched what happened in front of him. "You wanna play a game?" Memory Jack asked as he tried to stand up straighter. "We're gonna play hopscotch. Like we play everyday. I-It's as easy as uh...one..." He winced as the ice cracked some more but he smiled at his sister before her hopes of being okay could be dashed, but then he felt himself lose his balance. "Whoa...Two..." He said as he gently gained his gracefulness once more. "THREE!" He shouted happily as he took a big side step to his staff that his father gave him. "Alright...now it's your turn. One..." He heard his sister gasp as she slid her foot forward. "That's it that's it...Two..." The ice began to crack more, and he knew she was about to fall in, so he quickly whispered, "Three." Then, yanked her with the crook of his staff as he knowingly took her place. When he saw how far away she was and that she was safe, he couldn't help the relieved laugh that escaped him. Then, he realized he hadn't fallen through, and started to stand carefully thinking that it was okay. As he tried to reach out to her and move towards her, his body fell through the icy pond water, and began to sink like a stone._

_"JACK!" He couldn't hear anything after that. His throat felt tight, his lungs were crying out to him, his limbs were growing increasingly cold, his sight soon left him, and with it...his last breath as bubbles escaped his lips. The pond, However, was deeper than it let on, and he slowly kept sinking. It soon became dark, but the moon was out and it was full. Soon, Jack's lifeless body had finally made it to the bottom of the pond. Then, through the darkness of the deep pond, the moon shined it's light onto jack. The guardians watched with baited breath as Jacks wonderful brown hair shifted to a snowy white, and his body was finally being lifted out of the lake by MiM, and because of how fierce the winter was that year, Jack's lifeless body had to be pulled through the cracks once more. As he was finally out of the water, his once golden brown eyes were a piercing icy blue, and breaths of air obviously left his lips as he awoke._

_"I am known as the man in the moon...I created you while you in the pond and now I have pulled you out. Your name...is Jack Frost."_

Jack was gently set down back onto the ice which, thanks to MiM, was fixing itself, and he felt confused and slightly scared. "Guys?" Jack questioned as he stopped the vision. Once they gathered their own emotions the all lowered their heads except Sandy who just continued to stare at the scene before him. Jack was taken back in disbelief as he got a closer look at everyone's faces. The man who represented wonder looked distraught, the fairy who represented memories seemed to wish with all her heart that she could forget, the small man that represented dreams seemed to want to wake up from whatever nightmare he was in, and the bunny who represented hope...seemed completely and utterly hopeless. "Guys...it's fine...it's...come to think of it...it's not that big a deal. I'm here aren't..."

Bunny snapped his head up and with tears running freely down his fur from his stunning green eyes he shook his head at Jack. "Not a big deal? You died!" His voice broke with a slightly choked cry at the end, and that nearly shook Jack to the core. "Jack...you...you died. You were just fourteen...and ya still believed in all of us...you...Oh Dear Moon...You were just a  _child_..." Bunny's face twisted from hopeless to horrified. "We all felt your heart stop, mate."

Jack's jaw dropped as he noticed that the other guardians had started looking at him with their tears running down their cheeks as well, but none were running down as freely as Bunny's, and with how broken Bunny sounded, he couldn't help but want to talk to him in his human form to see what he looked like in this state, for someone like him. The spirit that until recently, had caused him so much trouble. "Ell...Elliston Aster Bunnymund." He watched and waited as Bunny changed into his human form and was continuously shocked by just how broken the, now man, looked in front of him. Tears still ran down his face, but he closed his eyes and bit his lip as he turned his head away from Jack. "Aster?" He cautiously asked.

"M..." Aster tried to start as he finally breathed out a breathy sob he didn't known he was holding. He couldn't bring himself to look at Jack just yet. "M...My first true believer...Jack, You were...my first true believer and you...you..."

Jack couldn't stand seeing Aster like this. Whether he was in rabbit form or human form. He just looked so broken...and hopeless. He walked closer to Aster and grabbed his hand and placed it over his blue hoodie and pressed it hard against his heart. "Do you feel that, Aster?"

Aster felt a fast paced pounding against his hand that Jack's forever wintery hands held, and he fell to his knees as the dam he tried to construct behind his eyes broke as the heartbeat continued. He cried into his free arm as he held his hand against Jack's chest. He had seen children come and go, believers here and there, but the last time he actually saw a child die, it was many centuries ago and it was before MiM chose him to be the Easter Bunny. Even that tragic child's death, the one he was supposed to heal and save, was nothing to him compared to the one he had just witnessed and felt. Jack was so scared and alone. He was relieved that he saved his sister, but that was the last happy thought the human version of Jack had. They all had felt Jack's loss of memory as if everything that happened to him...had never happened at all, and Bunny had to watch as his first true believer died right before his eyes. Once he slowed his crying he sniffed a few times as he tried to stand back up. "Jack...You're...I..."

"I'm alive Aster. You can feel it under you're hand. I only look dead now, and even that's a stretch. MiM started my heart back up. Really, I'm okay as far as that is concerned. I'm happy I did it, and I would do it again if I could." Jack allowed Aster to take his hand back as he once again stood to wipe away his tears.

"I hate for ya to see me in such a sorry state, mate. I must seem like a damn pansy to ya."

Jack could tell that Aster was trying to throw it off with banter, but even he knew that now was not the time for banter. He moved forward and gave Aster as tight a hug that his cold arms could muster, and he smiled lightly. "Aster, that was a long time ago."

Aster choked down another sob as he returned the hug just as tightly. "That's the problem, mate. That was a little over three centuries ago, and I thought I officially met ya not long before the blizzard of '68. I should've..."

Jack ended the hug to look up at the six foot-one tall man in front of him, and he smiled once more. "You had no way of knowing...besides...I'm sure the others need to hear me speak to them too."

"Right you are, mate."

Jack waited until Aster's tears were dried and he let out a content chuckle. "Elliston Aster Bunnymund."

Once Aster was Bunny again. Jack turned to the other guardians who's expressions hadn't changed. "Jack..." Tooth started with a broken voice. "You..."

"Yes, I died...and that was the memory I discovered when I opened my tooth box. There were a bunch of other jumbled memories, but the clearest one was how I died."

"You were just child." North whispered out.

"Yes, and I'm here now...I'm alive, okay?"

Sandy rushed forward as he flew up to Jack's height and enveloped him in a surprisingly tight hug around his neck, that shocked even the other guardians. They had never seen Sandy react like that to anything. He stayed like that for a while as his body shook with silent sobs. Once Sandy pulled away he floated back down and gave a sad smile as an image of Sandy himself appeared above his head, followed by a heart, which was then followed by an image of Jack.

Jack chuckled lightly and nodded his head. "I love you too, Sandy."

"We all love you Jack." Tooth stated fondly as she wiped away her tears.

"Thanks guys." Jack gave a grateful smiled and turned his eyes back to the past version of him still standing on the pond. "Let's continue."

_They all continued to watch eagerly as Jack's brand new emotions seeped into them, and they finally heard a thought from Jack as he looked back up at the moon after inspecting his clothes. 'Jack Frost? That's my name? Well alright then...I guess you can't argue with a moon who seemingly brought you to life...although...where and what am I?' Just as Jack's thoughts were about to continue rambling his toe touched up against something. He looked down and noticed it was a some kind of staff. 'Did the Man in the Moon put you here too?' Right when he thought it and started picking up the staff a soft beam of ice shot out onto the lake making a frosting feathery pattern. 'What the?' He stood up and walked over to the nearest set of trees and gently tapped on the one to his left. 'It's...It's frost...It's cold. I did that...can I do it again?' He tapped the tree on his right and it made an equally wonderful feathery frosted pattern on the tree. 'I did that! I used the staff! That stuff is coming from both me and the staff!'_

_Jack let out a joyous laugh and began running across the pond, dragging the staff behind him. He almost slipped a few times, but his heart was so full of wonder and joy that he kept laughing. His whole body felt his joy as he had fun with the staff. He continued to laugh out in childish joy as he twirled around with his staff and danced on the pond. Then, he was lifted up into the air by the wind. Then, he heard a soft and joyous voice speak into his ear as he ascended into the sky. "Jack, I am the many winds that go from North to South and East to West. Let me take you somewhere...and you may call me Wind or Windy if you like. I will take you where you are need and where ever you wish to go I will hear your thoughts as my own and we will move together."_

"Wait...was that the wind? I knew we heard her before, but she sounds like an actual person rather than a whisper now." Bunny asked as he stood there, amazed that Jack really did have the wind with him.

"Yeah, I remember her telling me that. Although, I didn't know how to respond so I let her take me where she wanted me to go. However, she seemed a bit upset that I didn't respond."

"How do you mean?" Bunny's brow furrowed.

"Let's continue." Jack said with an amused smile. He found it highly amusing now, that his wind had a small temper tantrum.

_Jack was lifted up into the hair until he finally stopped and looked at his creation on the pond. 'Wow...it's so beautiful...'_

_"And...I feel ignored..." The wind spoke, and if the wind had a physical form, they would all say that she pouted. All of a sudden the wind stopped carrying Jack and dropped him into a tree. "Don't ignore me, Jack. We will know each other for a very long time."_

_As Jack hugged the tree he chuckled slightly to the Wind's words. 'Alright, Alright.' He laughed a couple more times before he stood up and noticed a village not to far off. "Hey wind...can you take me there?"_

_"I can carry you, but you will have to learn how to move with me. I am known to be free spirited and carefree." The wind picked Jack up like sue said she would and carried him down to the village that Jack had forgotten. He landed ungracefully but landed none the less. "You'll get the hang of it, don't worry."_

_He lifted himself up and acknowledged what the wind said, which meant there would be more flying, and for that, Jack was even more overjoyed. He began laughing as he tried to greet the people he passed by. "Hello." He said to one person. "Hello." He tried to say to another, but he supposed they were focused on their conversation to notice him. "Good Evening Ma'am..." He tried to greet a young woman but she gave him no acknowledgment. "Ma'am?" He tried again, but to no avail, so he moved on, when he suddenly saw a little boy. "Oh, excuse me...can you tell me where I am?" Suddenly the boy walked right through him, and he felt his heart nearly stop, and his breath quickened in shock. Then, it happened again and again. "Hello? Hello!?" He tried desperately for anyone to hear him, but no one even knew he was there._

Current Jack knew that the other guardians finally felt what he and Bunny knew now. They understood what it was like to be walked through...unseen. He knew neither of them wanted to talk about it, so he allowed the scene to change without a single word, and wondered where, in all his three hundred years of life as a spirit, would it take him.


	6. Meeting and Understanding Sandy

_Jack was sitting in a tree, still wearing the same outfit he wore when he died, and emerged from the pond. "So...I can make things frost over. I guess the moon gave me a fitting name, but I still don't know why he put me here..." Jack asked to no one. He wasn't even asking the wind. He just wanted to know. He felt it in his heart and soul the power he had, and he knew without a doubt that he hadn't even scratched let alone seen the surface of his powers._

_A bright golden light brought him out of his thoughts so he silently used the wind to fly into the sky. "What is that stuff..." Jack questioned to no one but the wind, but he knew she wouldn't give an answer. She told him a few years back that if he saw strange things, that he would have to find out for himself, so that's what he went to go do. He followed the golden light, and soon realized it turned into many ropy streams of light. He continued to get closer to the village and noticed that the many streams of golden lights were going into homes. He followed all of the ropy streams high in the sky, and he noticed there was a cloud he had never seen before. He flew higher to inspect the cloud and was surprised to find a short golden man on top of it, and he seemed quite content as his, what seemed to be sand, went in and out of homes. "Hello...?"_

_The golden man turned around in shocked surprise. His eyes narrowed and his curiosity seemed to be piqued. A small question mark appeared above his head. "You're interesting...who are you?" The question seeped into Jack's mind, but it wasn't his voice. It was a man's voice. The accent alone was similar to Pitch's, but instead of harsh and cruel, it was soft like a bell. It sounded as if it was filled with curiosity, wonder, and amusement all at once. It was both gentle and mystical. The guardians noticed that it was deep but not nearly as deep as North's voice._

"Hold on..." North started.

"What is it North?" Jack asked, genuinely curious as to why North wanted him to stop the journey, and why he was wearing a confused and astounded expression.

"Sandy, mate...was that you?" Bunny questioned with widened eyes.

Sandy nodded with a wide grin. "Wait..." Jack started. "You're telling me that none of you have heard him talk like that? I thought that's how you all understood him."

"No, Jack..." Tooth began to explain as she looked at him in complete awe. "...It's why he has the images. If we could hear him in our heads, he wouldn't need the images."

"I thought...I thought you all talked to him that way. I thought that's how you knew what he was saying...I knew I could still hear him even if...but..." Then, a thought suddenly dawned on Jack. "Is it...Is it like how I can hear the wind speak to me?"

"Is possible. Manny made you very unique, Jack. Not only that, but you could already speak with Wind when you were mortal, AND you were able to feel everything we represent all at once."

"You mean...I understand the wind  _and_  Sandy...and no one else can?"

"We thought only mother nature could speak to the wind, and you proved that wrong." Tooth answered.

"So...I'm still learning about my powers..."

"Seems so, Jack." North stated with his eyes even wider with wonder at the young guardian.

Jack ran a hand through his hair in slight frustration and confusion. "Um...Let's continue..."

_"Oh, I'm sorry, My name is Jack Frost. The man in the moon gave me my name. He gave it to me four years ago...does that make me four years old?"_

_A laughing symbol appeared along with a crescent moon and then a check mark. "You're an interesting one alright! If you're asking how old you are since the man in the moon gave you your name, then I suppose so." A sad symbol then appeared above sand's head. "We just met and you probably don't understand what I'm saying..."_

_"No, I do understand what you're saying! And...I just realized...you can see me!" Jack interrupted._

_A lightning symbol appeared above Sandy's head. "Well, it's not often that it happens, but I'm shocked." Then a pair of eyes appeared over Sandy's head as he smiled. "And of course I can see you. The man in the moon created me too." Then, a crescent moon symbol appeared above his head._

_"The man in the moon created you too?"_

_Sandy rolled his eyes with a smirk and quotation symbols appeared above his head. "That's what I just said."_

_Jack laughed loudly with relieved and joyful eyes. "Someone sees me!"_

_"Yes, and you seem extremely happy about it." Sandy grinned, but he held no symbols up._

_"I AM happy about it, you have no idea." At his own words, Jack noticed that Sandy's eyes widened a great deal and he looked at him with even more shock than before. "What's wrong?"_

_"Um...nothing..." A circle with a diagonal line through it appeared above his head followed by an arrow pointing to the right and another lightning symbol. "I'm just continuously shocked by you."_

_"I apologize."_

_Sandy shook his head with a small smile on his lips as a smaller circle with a diagonal line through it appeared. "You have nothing to apologize for. It's nice for me to have someone to talk to as well."_

_"Well, I guess we already have that in common...What's your name anyway?"_

_"My name is Sandman. However, those I work with and alongside call me Sandy for short."_

_Jack looked around as the, what he assumed now to be sand, started drifting into the cloud that Sandy was sitting on top of, before he turned his gaze back to the golden man. "I don't see anyone here."_

_"No, they aren't here. You've probably heard of them. There's North, also known as Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy." As he named them off symbols of what the other guardians looked like appeared above his head._

_"Wait...the Easter Bunny?"_

_"Yes...is something wrong?" A question mark appeared above his head and he gave a concerned look._

_"No...it' s just...for some reason that name stuck out to me...I don't know why."_

_Sandy laughed and for once it was audible to the other guardians and they were taken back by just how wonderful it sounded. It was as if he hadn't been able to laugh in years, and was suddenly able to and did it joyfully with all his might, and to an extent, they figured that to be true at this point. "Bunny sticks out to a lot of people." Another picture of Bunny appeared over his head._

_"How so?" Jack asked as he looked at the symbol of Bunny, feeling something like familiarity in his chest._

_"He is a talking rabbit that is just a little over six feet tall." A speech bubble appeared which was followed by a small bunny._

_"Hey...can I ask you something?" Sandy nodded. "Okay...why do you have those symbols above your head?"_

_"It's just my own way of talking. I can't actually speak, so these help."_

_"Oh...but your friends can talk to you right?"_

_"Yes, they do somewhat. However, we don't talk with each other much. Usually only if it's needed." A check mark appeared which was soon followed by a speech bubble with a line through it like the circle from earlier._

_"Huh...so...not much then."_

_"No, unfortunately, not much." An 'X' symbol appeared followed by a sad face shaking it's head. Then suddenly a light bulb appeared. "Hey, I have an idea!"_

_"Alright, Sandy, what would that be?" Jack asked as his curiosity started to dance through his entire being._

_Sandy's grin was wide and full of hope as he didn't even bother putting up symbols. "You're a young spirit so you probably don't know how to use your powers quite well yet...and frankly I don't even know what they are, but since you can understand me, and you're so happy that I can see you, perhaps I can help you while you keep me company."_

_"How are you going to help me? What exactly is it that you do?"_

_"I bring children dreams. This sand that I control, brings children and all those who believe, sweet dreams as they sleep, and I'm known to be quite creative so I'm sure there's some way I can help you. Tell me...what are your powers?"_

_"Um...well as far as I can tell...something to do with wintery stuff like ice and frost...but I've only frosted stuff so far." Jack shrugged his shoulders and noticed that all of the sand had made it back to the sandman's cloud. He looked back up at Sandy with a questionable look. "Well, all your sand is back in your cloud thing...where will you go? What will you do? When or how will you help me?"_

_"You ask a lot of questions." Three question marks appeared over his head and they were followed by a stop sign. "If you'll be patient with me, I'll explain."_

_"Okay...I'm sorry."_

_Sandy nodded with an approving grin. "We can both fly, so how about you travel with me, see what I do, and during that time we can talk and help you grow into your powers. A spirit of any kind is not much without knowing their limits, and when someone doesn't know their limits, it can get to be very dangerous. You may not be able to be seen, but you can still affect the world and everyone in it. I travel all over the world, and I continuously bring dreams to children, and once I'm done in an area we can work on your powers...we could also do so while we're flying."_

_"But what if I hurt you?"_

_Sandy let out another laugh as a laughing symbol appeared above his head. "I'd like to see you try. I can defend myself, Jack." A shield quickly appeared, and Sandy gave him a reassuring smile._

_"Thank you! I would really appreciate it! Also...we're going to travel the world? I...I only know this place. The pond and this village is all I've known. How big is the world exactly?"_

_"Bigger than you can imagine, but don't worry...you'll be able to find that out while we travel...oh...there is one other thing...I sometimes fall asleep at random moments after delivering a lot of dreams...but usually I can stay awake for long periods of time."_

_"Oh...well...I rest sometimes...in my tree...but it's only for maybe an hour or two a day and then I'm wide awake."_

_"Well, then this will be easy...but first...I'm sensing that since you don't know how big the world is, you may not know much about yourself or other things." Sandy looked at him with a saddened expression as the happy symbol from the beginning of his words quickly turned into a concerned symbol which had a smaller question mark._

_"What are you getting at?" Jack questioned, but it wasn't in a rude way, he was trying to understand what the man in front of him was trying to hint at._

_"What do you know...Your intelligence Jack...I'm not trying to be rude...but tell me what you know about yourself and the world...please?"_

_"Oh uh...okay...well...I know that I opened my eyes when I was pulled out of a pond, and it felt like I hadn't been able to breathe or feel for a long time until I heard the man in the moon talk. I know that I look like the villagers, but I'm very pale compared to them, and none of them can use ice or see me. I somehow know that I know how to read and write. I know how to talk obviously, I know my manners, I know I'm young but I apparently skipped something one of the villagers called coming of age because my voice isn't like a child's...not completely. It's deeper. I know that the villagers need fire to keep warm, but fire hurts my skin and makes me feel tired. However, day time doesn't bother me...unless summer arrives. I um...I get hungry but I don't know how to cook for myself or how to get food so I usually just grab..."_

_"You eat what the villagers throw away?" Sandy asked as a forlorn expression mixed with shock quickly crossed his features._

_"Y-Yeah...I know...I know that it's not acceptable and that I shouldn't do it...but sometimes I get so hungry...and it's not like I can ask for any food...Anyway..."_

_A flurry of sad and angry symbols appeared so fast, Jack almost couldn't keep up, and he found himself feeling very fortunately that he didn't need to. "No! Not anymore...That's another thing I'm going to have to teach you. You're going to learn how to get and make your own food. The times will change year after year and you will need to be much more prepared than you are right now. With that said...please continue."_

_"Right well...I can talk to the wind and..."_

_"You can what?"_

_"Talk to the wind...is that strange?"_

_"No it just means that you're a little different that's all." Sandy gave him a wide smile that reached his eyes. "The man in the moon must've really seen something special in you for you to be able to do that."_

_"Huh...alright...um...I know my basics. colors, numbers, objects...things like that...I know my animals. I know what my power feels like in my body...'_

_"What does it feel like for you?"_

_"Well...the irony of it...it feels like a strange kind of joyful warmth that rushes through my whole body, even though I'm cold to the touch...and that's all I seem to be able to do. During the spring time if I stood on a patch of green grass, it would freeze it instantly, but it would quickly melt into water."_

_"That's remarkable..." Sandy smiled genuinely as he knew that his powers felt much the same way except his felt cool and calm like a spring or summer breeze. His eyes shifted quickly to the staff that Jack was holding and looked at it curiously. "Jack, fly with me as we go to the other side of the world."_

_"O-Okay..."_

_As they flew, Sandy's curiosity couldn't be calmed anymore. "Jack, was that staff of yours always covered in ice?"_

_"Hmm? Oh, no...I found it when the man in the moon put me back down on the pond. That's when the ice and frosting happened. When I touched it with my toe it frosted a little but it went away when my toe did. It appeared it again when I held it in my hands."_

_"May I see it?"_

_"I um...I don't think I can fly without it."_

_"Come stand on my cloud as we continue forward. I won't let you fall."_

_Jack did as he was told and noticed that he wasn't falling at all, and that the cloud was incredibly soft, and it tickled his feet a little. then, he noticed another peculiar reaction as he stood on the cloud. "M...My feet aren't freezing your sand!"_

_"No, they aren't. My sand is like your ice. It's a part of my powers and unless you actually deliberately use your powers against me, it won't affect me in the slightest. Although...I don't suspect you to be the type of person to harm me. So, that's good...anyway, the staff. May I see it?"_

_"Um...sure here...Hey, can I ask you a question?"_

_"Sure..." Sandy said before taking the staff._

_"You haven't needed symbols above your head for a while...so how am I still able to hear you talk if that was your way of communicating?"_

_"Because you can hear my thoughts apparently." Sandy smirked as he looked at the staff that no longer held any ice in it or even coldness for that matter._

_"Has that happened before?"_

_"No..." Sandy looked up at him briefly wih a small smile._

_"But the way I understand you when the symbols are up...is it the same thing?"_

_"No, not necessarily. My friends can understand me with the symbols. They can speak to me and I can speak to them with the symbols, but other than that...they can't hear my thoughts..."_

_"Did the man in the moon make me this way?"_

_"He's the only one capable. Anyway...it seems that your staff is similar to my sand, North's magic, Tooth's fairies and wings, and Bunny's own power along with his boomerangs."_

_"C-Come again!? Your sand...Magic...Fairies...boomerangs...what?"_

_"Their weapons and their own magic is an extension of them. Without it, they can't do much. They are unique to only them just as my sand is unique to me and your staff is to you. Your staff will be like an extension of yourself do you understand? You must take care of it."_

_"I...I understand." Jack nodded his head as he gently took the staff back._

Jack looked over at the guardians and noticed that they seemed to be shocked by the things they said, but he wanted to make sure it wasn't just his own shocked emotions. "You guys okay?" He asked as the scene was about to change once more.

North, Bunny, and Tooth immediately looked back and forth between Sandy and Jack with wide eyes, and dropped jaws. Jack felt a tugging on his pant leg and looked down at Sandy who then gave him a pointed look as a symbol of the sandman appeared followed by a speech bubble with a diagonal line through it, and after that, there was a clock. "Oh...right..."

"W-What did Sandy say?" North asked with childlike wonder.

"He said that in all his time of being the Sandman, no one has been able to hear him talk, and now you've heard his voice for the first time and you all found out that I can hear his thoughts and that that was the reason why you were all shocked."

"Well..." Bunny chuckled out nervously. "That's about the gist of it, mate, but I wish that's all it was."

"What do you mean?"

"Mate...you are the first person to ever hear Sandy speak, and even then...in all the time we've known Sandy, he has never reached out to anyone like that. To be quite honest, he kept to himself even when he became a guardian. We talked yeah...We would have meetings every four months and yearly meetings at the beginning of the year, but it was all for the children and planning. We knew he could fight in battle before Pitch came back...but..."

"This is the first time you're getting to know Sandy on a bit of a personal level."

"Yeah...basically, and if I'm gonna be honest...considering the year the two of you met...it makes sense now." Bunny stated vaguely as he ran his paw through his ears.

"What makes sense now?"

"That little by little he started opening up to us more."

Jack laughed out in disbelief. "Surely, I couldn't have made that much of a difference..." The pointed looks the other guardians were giving him were unnerving and answered his almost question. "Um...let's continue."


	7. Personal Guardian

Once the scene settled, the guardians noticed that there was nothing but white everywhere. "Jack, where is dis place?" North asked.

"This is Antarctica. It's where we would go sometimes. Let's continue." Jack stated, wondering just what point in time were they in when they were in Antarctica.

_"Sandy, what are we doing here?" Memory Jack asked which then told current Jack that this was the very beginning of himself in Antarctica._

_"Well, we have a couple hours until I have to go back to the children, and we haven't tested out your powers much yet. It's been nearly two years and you've still only been able to frost things, and you said you wanted to start testing your limits. Well, look no further. Everything is already frosted here. This place is covered in ice and snow, and it's going to be up to you to change it just a little."_

_"What do you mean change it?"_

_"Jack, whether you really realize it or not...you can do far more than just simply frost things. That was made clear to me when I held your staff. Now...you've seen snow right?"_

_"Well..." Jack looked around with a smirk on his lips before he looked back at Sandy. "...considering we're surrounded by it, I hope so."_

_"Good, well...as you can tell, it's not snowing yet. The first thing you're going to try and do is make it snow."_

_"You want ME...to make it snow?"_

_"Yes, that's right."_

_"And how the hell am I supposed to do that?"_

_Sandy sighed and shook his head. "You're gonna have to figure that one out Jack. Don't worry, I'll be right here if you need me."_

_Jack nodded his head and held his staff. A few times he had pointed it into the air hoping for something to happen, a few times he tried to use his hands, and once he even asked the wind what he should do but he received no reply. Then, he heard Sandy laughing. "Oh, and what's so funny, little man?"_

_"Well, for starters, you're trying too hard. You're focusing way too hard and frankly, you look hilarious in your attempts."_

_"What do you suggest I do then?" Jack asked, not out of impatience or frustration, but in genuine want for guidance._

_"You need to be yourself. Search inside your heart and soul and find something to latch onto. Something that makes you feel like you're at your happiest. When you first frosted the tree you told me about...and then you frosted the frozen pond, what did it feel like?"_

_"I felt...joyful. I was hopeful, filled with wonder, it was so amazing it was like it was in a dream, and I don't think I could ever forget that feeling if I wanted to. It made me...what's the word...giddy I suppose. When I frosted the pond...my heart and soul practically soared and danced at the same time. I was having so much fun."_

_"That's..."_

_"Sandy?" Jack gave him a curious glance as he noticed the surprised expression on his friend's face. "Everything alright?"_

_"Yeah, everything is perfectly fine." He answered with a surprised chuckle. "That's something you need to hold onto. All of those feelings you described, hold onto it and allow yourself to feel it again and then you can try and picture snow falling...all while allowing your body to move in the way it wants to. Don't be ashamed to look a little ridiculous as long as that feeling soars through you in everything you do."_

_Jack put a hand over his chest and remembered the feeling, and he quickly felt it rise in his chest and eventually his whole body. Then, without warning, he shot up into the air and spun his body around laughing out every laugh his soul felt. He felt his powers rush through his body and it was as if it was dancing with him and the wind all at once. He dove down towards the icy waters, and he almost touched it, before he felt the need to fly back up to the sky and he had the strongest feeling he wanted nothing more than for the snow to join in the dance his soul and him were having with the wind. Then, to his surprise he felt his power surge and his whole body tingle joyously as if his heart and soul were having fun, and then he felt it around him. It was snowing, and it was wonderful. He continued to have fun as he danced with the snow and the wind, until he felt the need to land and be next to Sandy to share his joy. "That...That was amazing!"_

_"You preformed beautifully, Jack! I'm so proud of you! And look at what you did."_

_Jack looked around them as the snow fell fast, yet gently. He looked on in awe as he noticed that even the snowflakes seemed to dance after he landed. "Wow...I really did that...Sandy...I made it snow Sandy!" Jack jumped up and down in pure excitement, and the wind twirled around him hugging him tightly._

_"You dance beautifully, Jack." The wind said with a light chuckle._

_"Yes, Jack you made it snow, and I suspect there is still yet more you can do, but for now, we need to go. There are children who need dreams."_

_"Right behind you, Sandy!" Jack laughed out with his heart feeling full of joy._

Jack looked over at his fellow guardians and couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped his lips. "It's a fun feeling isn't it?"

"Jack...I'm...I'm speechless." North admitted as his eyes were still wide and a joyful smile was plastered on his face.

Jack chuckled lightly, but then he heard Bunny laughing. "Bunny, you alright there?"

"Am I alright? You're forgetting, mate, I'm feeling all of this tenfold, and It was all so incredible and wonderful. It was amazing. Jack, your powers...what they feel like through you...I can safely say, even though I feel it tenfold...It is like nothing I've ever heard of, and certainly like nothing I've ever felt. You were so carefree..."

"Yeah, and it always feels like that." Jack smirked.

"Sandy...I had no idea you make such good teacher." North stated as he was finally brought down from all the joy that Jack had felt.

Sandy shrugged his shoulders and shook his head while a symbol of Jack appeared above his head.

"Did you get that? Or am I the new Sandy translator now...?" Jack joked and gained a hearty laugh from North.

"No, I understood it. He said he didn't know he could be such a good teacher either until you came along."

"That's exactly it." Jack stated happily.

"So...quick question..." Tooth started with slight giggles dying down. "We um...are we gonna see mostly you training with Sandy?"

"I have no idea. He taught me quite a bit, but I don't know what to expect. One way to find out though...Let's continue."

_The scene changed and this time it was of Jack and Sandy flying over the ocean. "Hey, Sandy...look!"_

_Sandy turned to look at where Jack was pointing, and he noticed that there were dolphins jumping in and out of the water. "They're dolphins jack, what about them?"_

_"I think they're beautiful. I...we talked about this a while back...but I think I finally picked my favorite animal."_

_"Your favorite animal is a dolphin?" Sandy asked with an amused expression._

_"I believe so, but I can't go near them without nearly freezing them or the water."_

_Sandy's expression went from amused to understanding in a matter of seconds. "Jack, look at me."_

_Jack did as he was told and noticed that Sandy was letting out some of his sand. "Sandy, there's no children here."_

_"Ah, but there is a child. You're still a child, Jack. That alone makes you precious. Here...touch the sand."_

_"A-Are you sure?"_

_"I wouldn't have told you to if I wasn't, you know that. We've been traveling together for a little over two decades now."_

_"A-Alright..." Jack gently and hesitantly touched the sand, and to his amazement dolphins sprang from the sand and they jumped in and out of the sand as they swam around him. There was one that started moving backwards on just it's tail, and Jack couldn't help but laugh lightly in his astonishment. "I...I touched the sand and dolphins appeared!"_

_"Yes they did, and this way you can be near the dolphins without having to worry about hurting them."_

_Jack lunged forward and gave Sandy a tight hug. "Thank you, Sandy!" He let go of the hug and realized something that Sandy had just said. "Hey, what do you mean me still being a child makes me precious? And how am I still a child if my voice is already deep? Wouldn't that mean I'm a young man?"_

_"You are a child until you are either eighteen or in your twenties or until you stop believing...which ever comes first. Anyway, you are not there and you will likely stay this way. As for how it makes you precious...I told you about those I work with right?"_

_"Yeah...North, Tooth, and the Easter Bunny...right?"_

_"Yes...but did I ever tell you what we do?"_

_"I...I don't think you did."_

_"We are called guardians. We look after all the children in the world with our unique gifts, and those that believe in us are special to us. We protect them and bring them any happiness we can with our own ways. North brings them wonder, Bunny brings them hope, Tooth helps them to remember memories, and I bring them sweet dreams as you well know."_

_"That's amazing! So...what all do you guys protect them from?"_

_"Well...we protect them from our opposites. We keep them from feeling distraught or depressed, hopeless, forgotten, and even from their own bad thoughts and nightmares. We keep all kinds of sadness and evil at bay."_

_"Wait wait...evil? What kind of evil?"_

_"Well...a long time ago there was a creature called The Boogeyman also known as Pitch Black. He wanted to cause darkness and pain and sadness and fear...he thrived in it back in his day, but then we, the guardians, stopped him. We brought the children wonder, hope, good memories, sweet dreams and most importantly we brought them happiness and light. There are also other types of evil that we try and keep at bay that aren't in creature form...but mortal form, and I pray that you never see that as long as you live, Jack."_

_"What kind of mortal evil."_

_"No, Jack!" Sandy snapped strictly._

_"I just...I'm sorry..." Jack shrank a little as Sandy took the sand into his cloud._

_"No, I'm sorry...I shouldn't have snapped. Just...don't ever ask me to explain that kind of evil. If I can help it, you will never know such things." Sandy started flying towards where ever their destination was and he let out a frustrated sigh._

_Jack's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I don't get it..."_

_"Don't get what?" Sandy asked as he began to calm down more._

_"The way you talk about protecting me...You always make sure I eat, that I'm as warm as I can be being me...You've taught me about the mortal world, our world, the different spirits both the good and the bad, you've taught me how to control my powers and have taught me to be myself and to never let go of my wonder, hope, dreams, and memories whether their good or bad...and then you talk about how you and the other guardians do that with the children...Well...if I didn't know any better, I would say that you were taking it upon yourself to be my personal guardian." Current Jack heard audible gasps from the other guardians except for Sandy, and he felt in his heart that there was a very good reason for that, but he would ask that later after this memory is over. Sandy stopped flying immediately. He didn't turn to face Jack, he just stood there silently. After a while, Memory Jack placed a hand on Sandy's shoulder. "Sandy?"_

_"And what if I am?"_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"What if I am taking it upon myself to be your personal guardian?"_

_Jack's jaw dropped and he felt breathless as his heart hammered in his chest. "B-But why?"_

_"Jack..."_

_"Sandy...please tell me."_

_"I just...it's hard to explain...even for me...but I can't help it. It's...I guess...from what I've seen from the children and their families...It's like...no...never mind."_

_"Sandy, c'mon...you can tell me."_

_Sandy nodded and let out a shaky and unsure breath. "It's almost as if I've started looking at you as if you were a son to me, and I don' t know entirely why. What I do know is that I don't care what anyone else might say, I'll be there for you when I can, and I will be your guardian."_

_"Wow..." Jack said breathlessly. What he had thought Sandy might say, it certainly wasn't that, but then he felt his joyfulness bubble in his chest. "...that's amazing! And I don't feel like a fool anymore."_

_"What do you mean, Jack?"_

_"Well..." Jack started as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck while his version of a blush appeared on his cheeks, coloring them a beautiful shade of lavender. "For a while...I've felt like I've been looking at you as you being like a father to me. I've thought so for a while now."_

_"F-For how long!?" Sandy stuttered out with wide eyes._

Current Jack was pretty sure he could hear a pin drop in the room if one were to fall. So instead of waiting until later like he had originally planned, he cleared his throat and looked to the other guardians giving them a break from the scene when he spoke. "Guys, are you all alright?" For what felt like hours, but was really a out five minutes, Jack waited for someone, anyone to say anything, but they all just looked at him and Sandy with stunned expressions and slightly dropped Jaws. "Say something...anything...I know you want to."

"When..." North started slowly with his wide eyes and raised brows. "When Pitch came back and did what he did to Sandy...and you went after him..."

"I am almost certain you will find that one out later."

"Jack...you really thought of Sandy as a father, mate?"

"You tell me, Bunny."

Bunny nodded and held a paw to his chest. "Still?" He asked curiously.

"If I'm to be honest...yeah. If it wasn't for him...I would've been alone for over three hundred years. Not to mention I would still be lost and know nothing about my powers which would've likely made me uncontrollable. Why...is that strange?"

"Well...no not exactly. I mean, I see Tooth as a sister so there's that...It's not weird that some of us think of each other like family. What's strange...well not strange, more of shocking...but uh...what's shocking is that Sandy considers you a son, and he's taking it upon himself to be your personal guardian. I mean, yeah we protect our own as much we do the children, mate, but I don't think I've ever heard of any of us becoming another spirit's or guardian's...guardian...and I've known Sandy long enough to know that he doesn't lie...especially when it comes to how he personally feels about something."

"Well, that's good to know...but is it a bad thing that I see him like a father and he sees me as a son?"

"No...I don't see any reason why there would be anything wrong with it. It's just...in all our years we've never heard of that happening, let alone a guardian becoming a personal guardian to a spirit, and since Manny hasn't done anythin' to separate the two of ya, it must be okay."

"Good to know...well...I guess that..."

"No hold on Jack..." Tooth interrupted.

"Okay..." Jack drew out with a confused look.

"Sandy...why did you never tell us about Jack?" She asked.

Sandy gave a frustrated expression as he looked back and forth between all of the guardians as images frantically appeared above his head. "Uh...Jack...can you uh..." North started, but quickly noticed the expression on the youngest guardian's face.

Jack's jaw dropped as he looked at Sandy. "Um...he said...'And how exactly was I to do that? We were friends, but we were friends who bickered about small disagreements and Bunny openly said how much he dislike him, and I'm fairly certain back then either you or Bunny would've told me that it was a bad idea and to just leave the spirit be and go back to focusing on the children of the world. You would've told me that I was stretching myself too thin. So, tell me, at what point in time with how we all were back then, was I supposed to tell you something that personal to me?'" Jack turned to look at the other guardians and noticed their shamed looks. "What were you guys like back then?"

"Well it's uh...It's like Sandy said." North answered. "After we defeated Pitch we became wrapped up making sure that the children of the world had what they needed, but we did bicker, and we told each other that our sole focus was to the children in our own ways, all while trying to protect them. He's right...we did talk to each other at meetings, but we all tried making meetings as short as possible so we could get back to work. I can't say he's wrong how I would've reacted. I probably would've told him he was stretching self too thin."

"When did you guys even out? Because the way I understand it...all of you are almost a thousand years old give or take...so when did you all even out and cool your jets?"

"Well...considering everything we been seeing...about a hundred or so years after he met you." North answered with a bit of shame in his eyes.

"Hmm...well...can't do anything to change that now. Let's continue." Jack felt a slight bit awkward in the conversation since it basically meant that Sandy had kept him a secret for a very long time and that Bunny was telling the truth about not knowing him until shortly before the blizzard of '68.

_"For how long what?"_

_"How long have you been considering me like a father to you?"_

_"Uh...since Antarctica."_

_"Which time?" Sandy smirked, but there was still shock evident in his eyes._

_"The first time. It really hit hard when you said you were proud of me. I don't why, but that meant a lot to me."_

_"Huh...I had no idea." Sandy began smiling widely. "Well, I suppose this is good then."_

_"How so?"_

_"Well, I thought...for a while there...I didn't know just how you would take it...me thinking of you like a son and all. This will just make things more interesting."_

_"Apparently." Jack said with a slight chuckle._

_The scene changed once more, and everyone noticed that Jack was breathing hard, they were in Antarctica, and Sandy floated just above the snow with a concerned look on his face. "Jack, what's wrong?"_

_"Nothing, just..."_

_"Was it what the storm spirit said?"_

_"Something like that..." Jack answered as he allowed his breathing to even out._

_"Listen to me..." Jack didn't turn so Sandy flew in front of him. "You look at me and listen, Jack Frost!" Jack immediately looked at Sandy with stunned and saddened eyes. Sandy's tone was commanding, and he had never used his full name like that. He's said it, but not in what seemed to be anger. Sandy's furious eyes soften and he let out a sigh. "You are NOT unwanted. You are NOT a mistake. You are NOT a nuisance, and you are certainly NOT a danger to children. You are still learning. You are a good spirit, Jack."_

_"If I'm so good, then why do the others hate me so much, Sandy?"_

_"I don't think they hate you...but they may be jealous of you and...a bit curious."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Well...You're spending time with me...a known guardian, and they don't know why I'm letting you. They probably think I should just ignore you. They wouldn't dare to ask, and I suspect that they wouldn't even spread rumors of it. Also, you are the youngest spirit so far, not only that, but your form is that of a child and you are a seasonal spirit. They're wondering what you will do and what type of spirit you will grow into once you fully realize your powers."_

_"How long will that take? It's been a hundred and fifty years since I came out of the pond, Sandy, and I can't believe it, but you're right. The world has changed so much. Anyway...I've figured out I can make it snow, I can properly fly with the wind, I can make ice, I can make my frost go a further distance now, and I finally got the Wind to move around the snow to create blizzards. What else is there?"_

_"Jack, let me tell you something. The longer you live, the more you'll learn, and the more you let someone's negative words affect you, the more you're letting yourself...lose yourself. Just be yourself as much as possible. There will likely be more who say negative things, but they do it in ignorance and arrogance. You are none of those things. You are intelligent and you don't boast about what you can do. You are kind, mischievous, and curious. Now...what do you say we go give the children in North America a snow day? Sound fun?"_

_"Yeah...that does. Sorry I reacted that way, Sandy."_

_"It's alright, Jack. Everyone has their moments, you'll undoubtedly have more than a few, but you have to remember to be as true to yourself as possible."_

_"I'll try."_

_"That's all I ask." They flew off and the scene changed once again._


	8. Easter!

_"Hey, Sandy...what are those kids doing down there?" Jack asked as they were passing over a large green field of children in Scotland running around with baskets._

_"It's Easter, Jack. They are searching for the eggs that Bunny has hidden."_

_"Wait...it's Easter already!? Can I meet Bunny?"_

_"Well, he's not much of a people person."_

"Hey, quick question..." Tooth started hesitantly.

"What is it?"

"Well...I know it has nothing to do with this memory...but Jack...did you witness..." She gulped loudly as she held back threatening tears at the thought of the question, but it came to her mind when she heard Sandy say that he would try and keep Jack from all forms of mortal evil if possible, and she couldn't hold back her question. "Did you witness the Holocaust?"

"No...Sandy wouldn't let me anywhere near Europe or where I could hear about it. He told me to spend my time training in Antarctica. I found out what happened though when I heard older children discussing what they had learned in school. I'm glad he kept me away."

"I'm glad too." She stated.

"Alright then, let's continue."

_"Oh come on, he's a friend of yours right?"_

_"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he's as sociable as I am, and considering I put people to sleep, I'm not that sociable either."_

_"Sure, I get it, but I mean...if he's a friend of yours he's got to be good, right?"_

_"That's an interesting way of looking at it. Well, if you want to hang out here, that's fine. You know where I'll be. You've traveled with me enough, you've gotten the hang of my route."_

_"Thanks Sandy!" Sandy nodded at him and flew on ahead while Jack carefully lowered himself just enough to where he was floating above the grass so he wouldn't freeze it. He looked around as he watched the children rush to look for eggs, and he himself wanted to look for them. He was filled with so much excitement that he decided he would carefully look for the eggs as well. There was one off into the distance that none of the kids had gotten to yet, so he rushed towards it and grabbed it. Then, he hid himself behind a bush to look at the design. "Wow...he really knows how to paint." Jack whispered to himself, but then suddenly felt cold furious eyes piercing a hole through his back. He turned around and saw a giant bunny like what Sandy had described. "Oh, hi...I'm sorry I just...You must be the Easter Bunny...I..."_

_"You...were just leaving." Bunny finished hotly. "Those eggs are for the children, not for you."_

_"I'm sorry I just..."_

_"Who are you anyway! You don't look like a normal human."_

_"I um..." Just before Jack could try and explain a child ran through him and his heart ached as he held the egg in his hand._

_"Oh..." Bunny said as understanding crossed his features. "You're a spirit and you're not believed in."_

_"Yeah, and?"_

_"Well, I just find it amusing."_

_"How is it funny?" Jack asked as he narrowed his eyes together to glare at the large Bunny._

_"Because, now I know who you are."_

_"Oh, and how is that?"_

_"You're the only spirit alive that isn't believed in. There used to be someone like that, but we got rid of him ages ago. Now, you're all alone, and you're the only spirit that's not believed in, which must mean your name is Jack Frost."_

_"Yes, my name is Jack Frost, and your name is Easter Bunny. So what?"_

_"So...I don't want someone who makes messes everywhere he goes, and ruins nature with his ice. You don't belong here, Frostbite. Now, just hand me the egg so that a good kid can find it, rather than some troublemaker like you."_

_Jack felt his heart break a little, but he remembered that he needed to stay as much to himself as possible, so through his heartbreak, he gave a smirk to the large bunny. "Sure, alright. Here ya go." Jack tossed the egg up in the air, and allowed his staff to gracefully catch it at the top before allowing the small colorful egg fall dangerously down the staff._

_Bunny rushed to catch it and let out a furious breath. "Get lost would ya!?"_

_Jack gave a false laugh as he flew away. Once he was far enough, he allowed the wind to take his ice cold tears as he made his way to Sandy, who wasn't far at all. Once he made it to Sandy, he kept his head down to the ocean below him as he flew gently along side Sandy as the sun began to set. "I take it you met Bunny." Jack only nodded, and Sandy sighed. "Whatever he said to you, don't take it to heart. He just doesn't know you. He doesn't know everything you've been through, and how hard you're trying to be a good spirit. Yeah, you've made a couple of messes now, but that's because you're still trying and training."_

_"I know that and you know that, but none of the other spirits know that. They don't even want to bother to get to know me. All they see is Jack Frost, a kid who is destructive with his ice and snow, and some things I can't help, like when I walk on the ground how it frosts behind me. It's the same thing with water."_

_"I know, I know...but don't worry, I'm sure one day they will know they were wrong about everything they've said. Hey...do you wanna go see that family you've been watching?"_

_"Yeah..."_

They flew silently for quite some time until they made it to a house that was oddly close to Jack's pond. North let out a surprised gasp as he noticed where exactly the house was. "Jack...isn't that the same location your house was at when you were born?"

"Now that you say it...yeah...I believe it is."

"Jack...That's also the location of Jamie's house." Tooth mentioned.

"What...What are you getting at, Tooth?"

"Well, if your sister lived on and had children and your home was passed down through generation after generation like homes usually were back then...then perhaps..."

"Wait...you think...You think that Jamie is like my super great nephew or something?"

"It's not completely impossible when you think about it, mate. Jamie kinda looks a bit like yer sister from long ago."

"That...can't be...that would mean I still have a..."

"If it's true, it would mean you still have a family, Jack." Tooth stated with a small hopeful smile.

Jack looked down at Sandy who was pouting slightly, not saying anything. Jack couldn't help the slight chuckle that left him. "Don't worry, Sandy...even if it's true, you'll always be like a father to me. You'll still be like family to me." Sandy looked up at Jack with grateful eyes as his pout quickly turned into a joyous smile. "Let's continue."

_"This one dreams of flying, how ironic that he's visited by us...who can fly, eh Jack?"_

_Jack let out a soft laugh as he watched the little girl's dream show her flying through clouds with wings on her back. "Yeah, if only she knew."_

_"Sometimes it's better this way, Jack."_

_"I know, but that doesn't make it any less lonely."_

_"Someday, Jack. Someday someone will believe in you."_

_"I wish I knew when someday was." Jack stated with a saddened sigh._

_"Honestly, so do I, but you've always got me."_

_"At least there's that...hey, speaking of which...when do you think I'll be able to officially be able to be on my own?"_

_"Perhaps in a few decades. You still have a lot to learn, and our next lesson is going to be a very difficult one for you."_

_Jack looked away from the sleeping child and gave Sandy a confused expression. "And what lesson would that be?"_

_"I'm going to teach you how to use your powers in battle. There will be a lot I can't teach you, but I can at least teach you self defense and how to strike your opponent...after I believe you've learned enough of that, then you can try being on your own for a bit, just remember...I'm always around if you need me. You know where I'll be and when I'll be wherever I'm at."_

_"Thanks, Sandy. When do we start training me for battle?"_

_"In a few hours...after I've finished here."_

_"Okay then."_

_The scene changed to Jack flying gently over North America when he spotted something strange in his view. "What the...?" He flew down as fast as he could when he noticed that morning was breaking through, but there was a section of the forest near the town that was oddly dark. Once he landed his feet froze the ground beneath him and he noticed strange little beings trying to run away from the dark part of the forest. "Wait a minute...those are Bunny's..." A shadow passed him, and then another, and then another. "Who's there!?" Jack asked as he frantically turned around._

_"That's what I would like to know." A sickeningly soft voice called out. "Who and what are you?"_

_"Wait...seriously?" Jack called out to the darkness._

_"Are you deaf boy? Who and What are you?"_

_"I...I'm a winter spirit from what I've been told, and my name is Jack Frost."_

_"Is it now...well, what are you doing here. It's spring you know."_

_"I do know...what I want to know is who the hell are you and why are Bunny's eggs running away."_

_"Oh, they're scared of me. You see, I'm the boogeyman. The name's Pitch Black."_

_"Right...I though the guardians did away with you centuries ago. What would you be doing here...near Bunny's eggs."_

_"Oh, they did, but you see, I still float around every now and then. However, what I'm doing here is none of your concern."_

_"I highly doubt that."_

_"Are you a guardian?"_

_"No..."_

_"Are you a spirit of spring?"_

_"No...but..."_

_"Then you really have no business being here either." Pitch came out of the shadows and glared at Jack, but his glare shifted slightly as he looked at him with confusion. "You look awfully familiar to me, have we met?"_

_"I think I would remember a creep like you." Jack stated with a heated tone as he pointed his staff at Pitch._

_"And I would think I would remember an annoying winter spirit such as yourself, yet here we are."_

_Jack looked around, it was well into morning yet the forest was still dark. "I think you need to leave."_

_"Oh, is that so?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"And what are you gonna do, snow on me?"_

_Jack remembered quickly what Sandy had told him about snow-blindness and how it could disorient a person for a little while if the sun is shining on the snow, and it gave him a good idea for the seemingly master of darkness. "That's exactly what I'm going to do. You see...these eggs are for the children. Not for you to scare, or crush, or whatever you had in mind so..." Jack lifted up in the air and allowed his soul to be as free and wondrous as possible as he danced with the furious wind and he called forth as much snow as he could. Soon, the snow turned into an all out blizzard that quickly layered the ground with pure white snow. When he was done with his dance, he put away his blizzard and allowed the clouds to dissipate so the light would shine on the snow. The next thing he heard was a cry of pain, which he guessed was pitch, because the forest was no longer dark, but he soon realized...he had just buried the eggs in snow. "No...No..." He said to himself as he floated down to the snow to search for the eggs. "If I can find them, maybe I can hide them myself..."_

_"W-What have you done!?" He heard Bunny shout._

_He quickly turned around and saw a livid Bunny. "I...I made a blizzard so that..."_

_"You bloody monster! You ruined Easter here! Why can't ya just keep to yourself!? The eggs are buried underneath three feet of yer damn snow and ice! I watched ya in the air, you were bloody laughing ya monster!"_

_"I...I was having fun..."_

_"Yeah, I could tell! Just go!"_

_"I can help you find the eggs if you..."_

_"You've done enough damage! Leave!"_

_Jack felt his heart break and his soul chip as his hope of ever being friends with Bunny shattered. He looked at the furious eyes of the Easter Bunny and felt so hopeless. He couldn't help, he had made a mess, he had tried to keep Pitch away from the eggs, because something about him being there didn't sit right with him, and now he had no Hope of ever letting Bunny know him a little better. "Fine, have it your way, Bunny."_

Current Jack heard a thud from behind him and looked to see it was Bunny. He quickly against against a tree in the memory and he looked at the scene with pure horror in his eyes. "Bunny?"

"The blizzard of '68...You...I...I made you feel so...hopeless...I..." Bunny's breathing became frantic and tears fell down his eyes like waterfalls as he put a paw against his chest. "I'm the guardian of Hope and I...how could you even look at me after that!? I...I didn't even let you explain I..."

"Bunny, calm down!"

"Your heart...it was so broken and I didn't know Pitch was there and I..."

"ASTER!" Jack shouted, and everyone immediately stopped moving. Bunny stared at him in complete disbelief as the horror was still pure in his eyes. "It's alright."

"N-No mate...it's not. I'm the guardian of hope and I stomped on yours."

"Well, it's not like you knew what my hopes were..."

"That's the thing, I should've. Just like Pitch can sense people's fears, I can sense hope...I should've..."

"No, Bunny...it's fine..."

"I said such horrible things to you and I..."

"Aster! It's fine. I'm still here, and now you know what really happened. Just breath and..." Before he could continue he was met face to face with a ticked off Sandy who was making a flurry of images appear over his head. "I didn't want to tell you, because I knew Bunny was your friend, and I mean...I got rid of Pitch so I didn't think it was a problem. I didn't want to worry you." Another flurry of images frantically appeared above his head as sand steam came out of his ears. "I know, I know...and for that I'm sorry. I know I should've told you. I'm sorry, okay? I just didn't want to ruin yours and Bunny's friendship, and I didn't want you to be upset with me. The snow melted soon after anyway..." Sandy pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a silent sigh as he slowly floated back down to the floor. He pointed an accusing finger at Jack with a strict look in his eyes. "Alright, yeah...I promise to tell you if something like that happens again." A grateful silent sigh left Sandy's lips and Jack found himself smiling a bit. "I'm not on your bad side now am I?" Sandy looked up at him, sighed, and gave him a fond smile while he shook his head. "That's good." Jack turned back to Bunny who seemed to be calming down. "Bunny, you alright?"

"I...I don't think so, mate, and it's likely to happen again if I'm correct, but we'll see. I shouldn't have blown up like that. I should've given you a chance. So uh...Do ya mind..." Bunny trailed off as he made a motion with his hands as if to ask Jack to continue the memories.

"Thanks cottontail...let's continue."


	9. Meeting the Other Guardians

_When the scene changed again they found themselves quickly following frost that was spreading in various different places. It went across a road, up a water fountain and a kid's tongue got stuck, then papers went flying and a fish bowl froze half way. While this was happening the guardians heard Jack laughing freely. "Oh...now that, that was fun!" He said as he wrapped himself around a tall pole on top of a building. "Hey wind..."_

_"Yes Jack?" The wind asked as it seemingly lifted a great amount of snow._

_"Take me home!" Jack shouted with pure joy in his heart. Almost instantly Jack was lifted up into the heavy wind and balanced himself out as he flew with carefree joy in his heart. He spun around, dancing with the wind as he flew into a sunrise with laughter and whooping loudly with excitement...Once he was taken to where he had wanted to go, he freely let go of the wind and began falling backwards and downwards, head first towards the ground. "SNOW DAY!" The wind carried him through traffic as he jumped off of buildings, trucks, and cars until finally he was carried to the pond and he slid across it until he was next to Jamie._

_"Whoa whoa!" Jamie called out as the wind carried the book out of his hands._

_"Oh hey that looks interesting...good book?"_

_"Wahoo! Snow day!"_

_"You're welcome." Jack said with a proud smile._

_"Whoa, it says here that they found Big Foot hair samples and DNA, in Michigan. That's like, super close!"_

_"Here we go again."_

_"You saw the video too Claude, he's out there!"_

_"That's what you said about aliens"_

_"And the Easter Bunny."_

_"The Easter bunny IS real."_

_"Oh he's real alright. Real annoying, real grumpy, and really full of himself."_

_"Come on, you guys believe anything." Claude laughed out._

_"Easter bunny! HOP HOP HOP" Sophie fell off the stairs and began to cry._

_Jamie looked her over quickly and made sure she wasn't actually hurt before calling out to his mom. "Mom! Sophie fell again!"_

_"You okay, Soph?"_

_"Are we sledding or what?" Claude calls out._

_"Jamie, hat? We don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose."_

_"Who's Jack Frost?"_

_"No one, honey. It's just an expression."_

_"Hey" Jack jumped down from the fence and gave a miffed smirk as he grabbed a snow ball. "Who's Jack Frost?"_

_"Okay, who threw that?"_

_Jack flew to where Jamie was, wearing a smirk on his face. "Well, wasn't bigfoot kiddo." Jamie scanned the area for the culprit and decided that Pippa was it. So, he grabbed up a snowball_

_"Jamie Bennett! No fair!" Pippa called out as she got the snow out of her hair._

_"You struck first!"_

Jack heard Sandy's voice and turned towards him. "What, Sandy?" A clock with the hands on it spinning, a book with pages turning, and a question mark all appeared above his head at once. "Oh, I learned that little trick while you were away. I tested it out on Jamie first when he was younger, and ever since then, if it looks like they were board or...if I want them to have fun...I do that." Sandy started clapping his hands with a proud smile. "Thank you, Sandy. Let's continue."

_"Free for all!" At his words, not that anyone could hear him, everyone started battling with snowballs._

_"Alright, who needs ammo?" Jack asked with a hint of laughter as he rolled up more snowballs for them._

_The fight continues on joyously until Pippa's snowball made it's way to Cupcake. Cupcake growled in anger as she turned around to see who threw the snowball._

_"Crud, I hit Cupcake."_

_"She hit Cupcake."_

_"You hit Cupcake?" Jamie was flat on his back, hiding underneath his sled when he looked up to see Cupcake standing over him. When suddenly she was hit with a snowball._

_"Oh!" Claude exclaimed._

_"Did you throw that?" Caleb asked Monty._

_"No." He quickly answered._

_"Wasn't me." The strange blue glittering snow made itself across her face, then Cupcake started laughing as Jack's magic took hold. Cupcake chased the kids down the hill, as she held the head of her snowman in her hands. Meanwhile Jack runs along side taking pleasure in the excitement._

_The kids were taunting each other back and forth about the snowball fight when a spike of joy made it's way to Jack's chest. "Ooh, little slippery!" He jumped ahead, and blasted a sheet of ice behind him. All of the kids fell to the ground, except for Jamie, who landed on his sled, and slid head first down the sheet of ice and into town._

_"Jamie, watch out! Stop!" One of the kids called out._

_"Jamie! Turn, turn! That's the street! What are you doing? Stop! There's traffic!" Another one of Jamie's friends called out._

_"Whoa!"_

_"Whoa, don't worry kid, I gotcha." Jamie looked back, then quickly ahead as terror appeared into his eyes as the street approached quickly. Jack couldn't help but smile. "Hold on Jamie! It's gonna be alright."_

_"Ahhhh. No, no, no, no..."_

_"Keep up with me kid! Take a left."_

_"Is that Jamie Bennett?" A woman questioned quickly._

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa..." Jamie said as his heart raced in his chest during his mysterious sled ride._

_"Hey! Watch it!" Someone called out._

_"There you go!"_

_"No! No!" Jamie shouted as another obstacle was quickly approaching._

_As Jack flew by Jamie's side he quickly noticed the look of excitement appear on Jamie's face. Jack gave a smug smile as he continues to carry Jamie's sled through the road. "Whoa." Jack created ice under his feet causing Jamie's sled to suddenly turn, narrowly missing an oncoming truck. Jamie's expression of fear of the sled ride quickly turned into one of joy while Jack watched, smiling as Jamie flies through the air and then flops safely on a large mound of snow._

_"Oh my gosh!" One of Jamie's friends said as the rest of them walked up towards them._

_"Yeah!"_

_"Wow, that looks serious! Jamie! Jamie, are you alright? Is he okay?"_

_"Whoaaa! Did you guys see that? It was amazing! I slid...I did a jump and I slid under a car and.." Suddenly a couch hit Jamie, knocking him over._

_"Whoops." Jack winced with a smile once he noticed that Jamie was still safe._

_"Oh! Cool! A tooth!"_

_"Dude, that means cash!"_

_"Tooth fairy cash!"_

_"Oh, no! Oh!"_

_"You lucky bum!"_

_"I got to put this under my pillow!"_

_"Oh, wait a minute. Come on. Hold on, hold on. What about all the fun we just had? "_

_"That wasn't the Tooth Fairy, that was me!" Jack flew in front of the kids to stand and try to get them to see him. "What's a guy got to do to get a little attention around here?" Jamie walked right through him and he felt his heart sink into his feet. He looked at the children as they walked away and talked to one another, and allowed the wind to take him away from there._

_The memory changed but it had only switched to night time with Jack on top of Jamie's house looking up at the moon with pleading eyes. "If there's something I'm doing wrong...can you just tell me what it is? Because I've tried everything! You put me here...the least you can do is tell me, tell me why..." He waited to receive an answer, but when none came he just let out a disappointed sigh and began walking on a wire, tapping his staff sadly against it. Then, a familiar golden sand appeared in front of him and almost all of the sadness and disappointment washed away in am instant. He immediately turned around to see a bunch of Sandy's lengthy strands of sand fly through the air. He pulled back his hood and gave a wide smile. "Right on time Sandman." He ran along the wire until he found some sand that was close enough. He jumped up to touch it and the familiar dolphin appeared._

"Jack...did Manny not talk to you?" North asked with concerned eyes.

"No...whenever Sandy wasn't there, and the moon was full, I would ask him why I'm here. What I'm supposed to do. However, the only thing he ever did tell me, was my name."

"That's not right, Jack."

"Heh, you're telling me, but it's okay now."

"You know...aside from Manny not talking to you, I'm actually kinda disappointed that I didn't get to watch Sandy train ya in combat. What did you do?" Bunny asked curiously.

"Well, mostly I trained in Antarctica and I would target ice sculptures, and I would attack them with ice. It took a few months to figure out how to get lightning ice out of my staff, but I was eventually able to do it. I also learned evasive maneuvers...but yeah...Sandy mostly told me that I had to pretty much put my being into my attacks. I had to feel something a little bit different from what I normally feel when I use my powers. It's not a pleasant feeling, but it works."

"What do you mean is not pleasant?" North questioned with a risen brow.

"You'll find out later. I'm sure of it." Jack gave a small smile before turning back to his memories and he nodded. "Let's continue."

_Jack suddenly heard and saw something practically fly by. "Whoa!" He went to chase after it, and didn't see anything. Then it moved it again. He jumped across rooftops and a car, setting off the alarm, just before landing on the pavement. Whatever it was, it ran past some trash cans. Jack lifted up his staff, ready to fight who ever or what ever was zipping around the town he called home._

_"Hello, mate." Jack jumped with a startled gasp as he pointed his staff at his mysterious greeter. "Been a long time...blizzard of '68 I believe. Easter Sunday, wasn't it?"_

_'Oh, thank moon it's just Bunny.' Jack thought to himself as he leaned against his staff. "Bunny! You're not still mad about that are you?" On the outside he was being snide, but on the inside he genuinely wanted to know._

_"Yes!" He answered as he started to look at his boomerang. "But this is about something else...Fellas!"_

_Suddenly, Jack is lifted up into the air by two yetis. "Hey...what the put me down! What the..." Then he finds himself tossed into the sack._

_He heard one of them say something in their own language before hearing Bunny. "Me?" Bunny laughed out. "Not on your nelly. See you back at the pole."_

_He felt himself spin almost out of control while still inside the bag when he heard a jingling noise. "He's here! Quiet." Jack moved the bag off him so he could get a better look at where he was at, and he honestly couldn't believe his eyes. "Hey! There he is...Jack Frost!" North opened his arms wide, and Jack's jaw dropped._

_"Wow...you gotta be kidding me..." The yetis lifted him up once more. "Hey Hey...put me down." Jack asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable._

_"I hope the yetis treated you well."_

_"Oh yeah...I love being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal."_

_"Oh, good...that was my idea."_

"Oh...you were being sarcastic."

"Yeah, North...I was. Let's continue." Jack said with an amused smile.

_"You know Bunny...obviously."_

_"Obviously..."_

_"And the Tooth Fairy."_

_"Hello, Jack. I've heard a lot about you...and your teeth!"_

_"My...My what?" Jack backed away unsure of what she was completely talking about._

_"Open up! Are they really as white as they say? Yes! Oh they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow!" She watched as her fairies were fluttering around Jack squealing in their own little language. "Girls, pull yourselves together! Let's not disgrace the uniform."_

_"And Sandman. Sandy...Sandy? Wake up!" North tapped him and raised his voice slightly. Then, finally Sandy woke up from his short nap._

_"Hey Ho! Anyone wanna tell me why I'm here?" Jack looked directly at Sandy for the answer._

_"I can Jack!" Jack walked towards Sandy with a small smile. "Okay so apparently there was black sand...north called us here and then the moon...and then we had to get you here because of guardian stuff and then the globe was funny and..."_

_"Uh, that's not really helping, but thanks, little man."_

_"Sorry, Jack, I haven't seen you in a long time..."_

_"I must've done something really bad to get you four together." He tapped his staff on a small elf and froze it. "Am I on the naughty list?"_

_"Jack, your powers have improved!" Sandy exclaimed to Jack only._

_"HA! On naughty list!? You hold record, but no matter...we over look. Now we are wiping clean the slate."_

_"How come?" Jack asked as he turned to mainly Sandy for the answer._

_"Ah..good question." Came Bunny's snide remark._

_"How come? I tell you how come! Because you are now guardian!" Immediately trumpeting was heard and drums._

_Jack looked to Sandy for an answer but only saw him holding a strange looking cup up to him with a simple, "Congratulations."_

_Eventually Jack had enough of the music and fire and he slammed the bottom of his staff down, creating a floor of ice, stopping the music. "What makes you think I wanna be a guardian?"_

_Sandy looked back and forth at Jack and North frantically. "But...Jack...you always loved the stories I told about my friends..."_

_"Ha..." North bellowed out in laughter. "Of course you do! Music!"_

_"No music!" An elf slammed down it's trumpet and walked off. "No offense but uh...you don't want me. You're all hard work and deadlines. I'm snowballs and fun times." He sat down on one of the desks and let out a very slight sigh. "I'm not a guardian."_

_"Jack..." The tooth fairy flew over with a determined look on her face. "I don't think you understand what it is we do." Jack practically glared at her as she flew up towards the large globe. 'I understand, I've had plenty of teaching from Sandy.' Not knowing his inner thoughts, Tooth continued. "Each of those lights, is a child."_

_"A child who believes, and good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them."_

_Suddenly Tooth was in Jack's mouth again. "Ah! Ah!"_

_"Tooth...fingers out of mouth!"_

_"Oh sorry..." She blushed slightly. "They're beautiful!"_

_"Okay okay...no more wishy washy. Pitch is out there doing who knows what!"_

_"You mean...You mean The Boogeyman?"" He chuckled out slightly._

_"Yes! When Pitch threatens us he threatens them!"_

_Jack walked away feeling even more ticked off. "All the more reason to pick someone more qualified!"_

_"Pick!? You think we pick? No, you were chosen like we were all chosen...by man in moon!"_

_"What?" Jack's angered immediately doused itself as he turned around to face all of them._

_"Last night Jack...he chose you."_

_"Maybe..." Bunny added._

_"The man in the moon..." Jack looked up at the moon with narrowed eyes in disbelief. "He talks to you?"_

_"You see...you cannot say no. It is destiny."_

_"But why wouldn't he tell me that himself?" Jack quickly ran a hand through his snow white hair and groaned. "After three hundred years, this is his answer!? To spend eternity like you guys cooped up in some hide out, thinking of new ways to bribe kids? No, no...that's not for me!" He shouted at the moon before looking at Bunny. "No offense."_

_"How...How was that not offensive? You know what I think? I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean what's this clown know about bringing joy to children anyway?"_

_"More than you know, Bunny." Sandy said quietly towards Jack as he tried to peer around Bunny who was scratching his ear._

_"Um have you ever heard of a snow day? I know it's no hard boiled egg, but kids like what I do."_

_"But none of them believe in you, do they? You see, you're invisible, mate. It's like you don't even exist."_

_"Bunny enough!" Tooth scolded, but everyone knew Bunny would ignore it._

_"No, the kangaroos right."_

_"T-The what? What did you call me? I am not a kangaroo mate!"_

_"Oh and this whole time I thought you were. Tell me, if you're not a kangaroo, what are you!?"_

_"I'm a bunny. The Easter Bunny! People believe in me!"_

"Isn't that what you told the younger version of Jack...and Jack...isn't that what you basically called Bunny when you were younger?" Tooth asked.

"I...Now that ya mention it Tooth..." Jack started.

"Now that you mention it...I almost couldn't help but reply with that...and I'm sorry I said it. It was far harsher than necessary." Bunny helped finish.

"No, it's alright now...but that is strange. I guess it has something to do with me being your first true believer."

"Perhaps it does." North commented.

"Well...let's continue I guess."

_Jack kept his glare at Bunny with tears threatening to fall, when suddenly he heard Sandy's voice. "North, please talk to Jack alone."_

_"Jack, walk with me." North whispered loudly._

_The vision shifted to Jack stepping out of the elevator. "It's nothing personal, North. It's just what you all do...it's not my thing."_

_"Man in Moon says it is your thing!" He shouted in confidence and then whispered, "We will see..."_

_"Hey, slow down will ya?" Jack ran after North in complete awe at the workshop. "I've been trying to bust in here for years! I want a good look!"_

_"What do you mean bust in?"_

_"Oh don't worry. I never made it past the yetis." He looked to his right at a familiar one. "Oh, hey, Phil."_

_"Keep up, Jack. Keep up!"_

_Jack looked around the work shop in awe when he quickly noticed that the yetis were the ones creating and testing the toys. "I always thought the elves made the toys."_

_"We just let them believe that." North stopped at a group of elves that were 'testing' lights when one of them seemingly got electrocuted. "Very nice! Keep up good work!" North put an arm around Jack to urge him to move forward. There was a yeti who was painting robots blue when he said, "I don't like it. Paint it red!" Once they made it into his office he saw an elf carrying a fruit cake. He took it and held it in front of him. "Fruitcake?"_

_"Um...no thanks."_

_North tossed the cake behind him and started cracking his knuckles. "Now we get down to tacks of brass."_

_Jack looked at him with confusion written in his eyes. "Tacks of..."_

_North got closer to Jack with a determined expression. "Who are you, Jack Frost?" He pointed a finger in the middle of Jack's chest with equal determination. "What is your center?"_

_"My center?" He narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him, unsure of where exactly he was going with this._

_"If Man in Moon chose you to be guardian you must have something very special inside you." His eyes shifted to one of the shelves in his office. "Hmm..." He went to grab the doll off the shelf and he started smiling. "Here, this is how you see me no? Very big, intimidating, but if you get to know me a little..." He handed it to Jack who just gave him a small questioning look. "Well, go on."_

_Jack opened the first layer of the doll and found himself grinning despite everything. "You are downright Jolly?"_

_"Ha! But not just Jolly!" Jack opened the next layer. "I am also mysterious..." Then, the next. "...and fearless..." Then, the one after that. "...and caring! And at my center..."_

_Jack opened the last one and dumped the final doll in North's large hand, and found himself slightly confused as he brought a hand to his head rubbing at his brow. "There's a tiny wooden baby."_

_"Look closer, what do you see?"_

_"You have big eyes..." He shrugged out._

_"YES! Big eyes! Very big! Because they are full of wonder!" Jack couldn't help the joyful look on his face and the thought in his head. 'Wow, he really does represent wonder, and he's actually pretty nice.'_

"Jack, did you not think I'm nice?"

"It's not that, North. It's just that...you got to understand, before you had your yetis shove me into the sack and arrived at the pole...all I had to go on about any of you were the stories Sandy told me and personal encounters, and well...that was the first time I met you and Tooth."

"Oh..." North gave a regretful expression. "I am sorry we not meet sooner, Jack."

"It's alright. Nothing you can do about it now."

"You may say that, but that will not change how I feel. We should have been there for you, Jack. You are an immortal child..."

Jack held up a hand with a slight smile. "Like I said, you can't do anything about it now, and hey...we're here together right?"

North's eyes widened at the young guardian before softening with pride. "Right! Shall we see the rest of our journey?"

"Yes, let's continue."

_North continued on with wondrous eyes, "...That is my center. It is what I was born with. Eyes that have seen the wonder in everything." Toys made of ice began flying as well as normal toys. 'Wow, this is amazing!' Jack thought to himself as North continued talking as he left the office with Jack following behind. "Eyes that see the lights in the trees and magic in the air. This wonder is what I put into the world! And what I protect in children." Jack looked up to all of the toys flying above him and moving around, and found himself awestruck at the pure wonder of it all. North continued, "It is what makes me a guardian. It is my center. What's yours?"_

_"I...I don't know..."_

_Suddenly, Bunny hopped in and they both looked at him with concerned expressions, which only deepened when they saw Tooth fly by the window. "We have a problem, mate. Trouble at the tooth palace."_


	10. The Tooth Race and...Sandy...

_The scene changed to all of them going towards the area where they held the sleigh and bells could be heard clear as day. "North! North! I told you, I'm not going with you guys! There's no way I'm climbing into some rickety old..." Jack turned to see that the yetis were opening the door and having to steady the reign deer. "...Sleigh..." He watched the reign deer buck and huff out air, and he couldn't help but laugh until he actually saw the sled and his face of laughter turned into one of awe and wonder. He was suddenly filled with an incredible excitement at riding in the sleigh. "Okay. One ride, but that's it."_

_North had to hold himself back from laughing as a smile crossed his face while he got into his sleigh. "Everyone loves the sleigh." Meanwhile, Bunny's face is one of surprise and shock, because he didn't actually think that Jack would go along for anything, let alone the sleigh. North looked at his fellow guardian with impatient eyes. "Bunny, what are you waiting for?"_

_"I think my tunnels might be faster, mate, and safer."_

_"Ugh! Get in!" North lifted Bunny up like he was nothing and tossed him the back seat. "Buckle up!"_

_Bunny looked frantically around for the seat belts but quickly realized they were missing. "Whoa whoa whoa! Where are the bloody seat belts!?"_

_"Ha! That was just expression are we ready!?" Despite the yetis frantic attempt at warning North continued with glad determination to ride in his sleigh. "Good! Let's go! Clear!"_

_From behind him, Jack could hear Bunny's panicking and watched with amusement as his claws dug into the wood of the sleigh scratching the paint. He held a dark mischievous smirk as he laughed at Bunny's distress. 'Hold on tight, cottontail!' Even his thoughts were laughing. As they went down the ice, Jack couldn't help but jump in excitement and awe at riding in the sleigh and going through the lengthy tunnel that he had never seen before. Despite Bunny's panicked cries he felt he was having a blast riding in the sleigh._

_North bellowed out in laughter as he changed gears on the sleigh. "I hope you like the loopty-loops!"_

_"I hope you like carrots." Bunny snapped back, looking ill._

_"Wahoo!" Sandy was heard shouting. "I forgot how fun this was!"_

_Once Jack realized they were coming to the end of their track, he felt he had to get closer to see it take off, so he quickly leaned over the edge with excited anticipation clear in his ice blue eyes. Once the sled officially took off he couldn't help but look back at the north pole as it kept getting further away. "Whoa! Ha Ha!" Jack heard Bunny groan, voicing his air sickness, and then a look of mischief crossed his face. "Bunny look at this view-Whoa!" He purposely jumped off the sleigh meanwhile hearing Sandy laughing._

_"Jack, don't mess with him...no matter how funny it is." Sandy laughed inwardly as he gave a side glance to where Jack just was._

_"North! He's..." Bunny began panicking as he carefully leaned over the side of the sleigh to look for their supposedly newest member._

_"Awe..." Jack said as he relaxed on one of the skis of the sleigh. "You do care." His smirk widened much to the irritation of Bunny._

_"Oh, rack off you bloody show pony!"_

_"Hold on everyone! I know a shortcut!"_

_"Oh strewth! I knew we should've taken the tunnels!" Meanwhile, Sandy was clapping his hands and could be heard chuckling at Bunny's reaction while enjoying the sleigh ride._

_"I say...tooth palace!" North whispered into the snow globe and threw it in front of them. They went through the portal but were met with a peculiar sight. Black shadows were flying past them. "What?"_

_As they were flying past, Jack realized they looked like horses and that they were taking the fairies. "They're taking the tooth fairies!" Jack looked around to see if you could save any of them. He saw one who was flying faster than the horse, so he flew out of the sleigh, caught her, and settled back in while trying to look the baby tooth over. "Hey little baby tooth. You okay?"_

_"Yeah, I'll be alright. Thank you."_

"Jack! You can understand my fairies!?"

"I guess not everyone can then huh?"

"No, not really. Usually their speech is at such a high frequency and speed that no one can quite understand them. Usually only I can."

"Well, I guess we can add Tooth language to the list of things my powers allow me to do."

"I guess we can." She grinned with surprised eyes.

"Let's continue then." He smiled at her and watched the scene unfold.

_North drove the sleigh moving in and out between the towers that seemed to be everywhere while he chased down another black horse that was trying to escape. Suddenly, North handed Jack the reigns. "Here take over!" He took out his swords and was ready for battle._

_"Huh?" 'Are you serious! Awesome!' "Yah! Yah!" He shouted as he slammed the reigns._

_Once North struck down the black horse three canisters fell into the sleigh. "They're stealing the teeth!" Bunny exclaimed._

_Sandy noticed the peculiar black substance that came off of the teeth and onto his arm. "Is this...black sand?"_

_"Jack look out!" North shouted._

_"Ah!" Jack pulled back on the reigns and landed the sleigh ungracefully, but it surprised him that he landed it at all._

_"Tooth are you alright!?"_

_"They...they took my fairies...and the teeth...all of them. Everything is gone...Everything..." She flew down to her knees with pure sorrow in her eyes. Jack smiled at baby tooth who then flew up to Tooth._

_"Look! I'm right here!" Baby tooth flew up to Tooth as fast as she could._

_"Oh, thank goodness one of you is alright!"_

_"I have to say..." An eerie deep voice called out. "...This is very exciting. The big four, all in one place. I'm a little starstruck." Pitch peered over one of the towers and glared with a dark smile at them all. "Did you like my show at the globe, North? Got you all together, didn't I?"_

_"Pitch! You have got 30 seconds to return my fairies!" Tooth flew towards Pitch with anger in her eyes._

_"Or what? You'll stick a quarter under my pillow?"_

_"Why are you doing this?" North asked as he pointed one of his swords up at him._

_"Maybe I want what you have. To be believed in. Maybe I'm tired of hiding under beds!"_

_"Maybe that's where you belong!" Bunny spat back._

_"Go suck an egg, rabbit. Hang on. Is that Jack Frost? Since when are you all so chummy?"_

_"We're not." Jack said as he turned around with his guard up, because Pitch was phasing in and out of the shadows._

_"Oh, good. A neutral party. Then I'm going to ignore you. But you must be used to that by now."_

_"Pitch, you shadow-sneaking ratbag, come here!" Bunny shouted as he raced towards him._

_Before Bunny could reach him he disappeared but Tooth saw where he was going to go and flew towards Bunny to grab his boomerang, prepared to strike Pitch with it, when suddenly one of the black horses appeared out of nowhere, ready to attack her. "Whoa! Hey! Easy, girl, easy. Look familiar, Sandman? Took me a while to perfect this little trick..."_

_"It IS black sand!" Sandy thought quietly in anger as he looked at his own sand in his hand._

_"...Turning dreams into Nightmares. Oh, don't be nervous. It only riles them up more. They smell fear, you know."_

_"What fear? Of you?" Bunny shouted. "No one's been afraid of you, since the dark ages!"_

_"Oh! The dark ages! Everyone frightened. Miserable. Such happy times for me. Oh, the power I wielded! But then the man in the moon chose you to replace my fear with your wonder and light. Lifting their hearts and giving them hope! Meanwhile everyone wrote me off as a bad dream. 'Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of. There's no such thing as The Boogeyman!' Well that's all about to change." Tooth's palace started crumbling and the once beautiful golden and pink paint started chipping and disintegrating away. "Oh, look, it's happening already."_

_"What is?" Jack questioned, growing concerned for the Tooth fairy, who now looked completely distraught._

_"Children are waking up and realizing the tooth fairy never came." Pitch answered darkly. "I mean, such a small thing, but to a child..."_

_"What's going on?"_

_"They...they don't believe in me anymore." Jack turned his concerned yet furious gaze back at Pitch who was incredibly amused. 'What? Why?'_

_"Didn't they tell you, Jack? It's great to be a guardian, but there's a catch. If enough kids stop believing, everything your friends protect, wonder, hopes, and dreams, it all goes away...and little by little, so do they. No Christmas, or Easter, or little fairies that come in the night..."_

_"No! Stop talking to him!" Sandy begged silently._

_"...There will be nothing but fear and darkness...and me. It's your turn not to be believed in!"_

_Bunny was the first to attack with his boomerang, and seeing that he couldn't evade it, Pitch got on his nightmare horse and flew down. He was then followed by North, Bunny, Tooth, and then Sandy who internally shouted to Jack, "Come on, Jack! Let's get him before he gets away!" Jack leapt from the edge and followed them. Bunny through egg-paint bombs but Pitch easily dodged those._

_They chased him down to the ground of the tooth palace when he disappeared once more. "He's gone..." North stated with disappointed eyes._

_"Okay, alright, I admit it, you were right about Pitch." Bunny said, agitated that Pitch got away._

_Jack crouched down next to Tooth who was holding a canister of teeth with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry about the fairies."_

_"You should've seen them. They put up such a fight"_

_"Why would Pitch take the teeth?"_

_"It's not the teeth he wanted. It's the memories inside them."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"That's why we collect the teeth, Jack. They hold the most important memories of childhood." Tooth flew towards the mural on the wall and Jack followed, walking on the water and freezing it beneath his feet. "My fairies and I watch over them, and when someone needs to remember something important, we help them. We had everyone's here. Yours too."_

_"My memories?" Jack looked at her in complete bewilderment. 'I haven't lost any teeth.'_

_"From when you were young...before you became Jack Frost."_

_Jack looked down and slightly shook his head before looking back up at Tooth. "But I wasn't anyone before I was Jack Frost." He told her as he slowly backed away, becoming concerned and confused at what she was telling him._

_"Of course you were. We were all someone before we were chosen."_

_"What?" Jack could hear North tease Bunny behind him, but he wasn't entirely focused nor did he want to know what they were talking about due to the startling possibilities that just presented themselves at Tooth's words. "The night at the pond...I just...I assumed I..." He felt himself becoming breathless at the mere thought of it. "Are you saying...are you saying that I had a life before that, with a home...and a family!?" He raised his voice in excitement at the actual possibility._

_Tooth looked at Jack with concerned eyes. "You really don't remember?"_

_"Oh, Jack...that explains so much." Sandy inwardly said to Jack, knowing he could hear his thoughts._

_"All these years, the answers were right here! If I find my memories, I'll know why I'm here!" Excitement and joy rushed through him faster than the wind had every carried him as he jumped and flew away from the mural. "You have to show me!"_

_"I can't, Jack...Pitch has them..."_

_Jack stopped flying immediately and crouched down on the rock below him, filled with a brand new type of determination he couldn't quite name yet as he pointed his staff at her. "Then we have to get them back!"_

_She was about to say something when she suddenly felt her feathers fall off. "Oh no! The children! We're to late..."_

_"No!" North forced his swords down. "No! No such thing as too late! Hmm...wait wait wait wait...IDEA!" He shouted with delight as he pointed his sword at Bunny who luckily leaned back quite a ways otherwise he may have lost a nose. Jack leaned against his staff smiling softly at how North reacted. 'I'm really starting to like these guys more and more. More than I expected to.' North continued with his glee at his idea. "We..." He started pointing his sword at Sandy and then waved it between Sandy and Bunny as he continued, "...Will collect the teeth!"_

_"What!?"_

_"We get teeth and children keep believing in you." North explained with pride._

_"We're talking seven continents and millions of kids!"_

_"Bah! Give me break. You know how many toys I deliver in one night?" North asked with a wide grin._

_"And eggs I hide in one day?" Bunny questioned as he held an equally wide and proud grin._

_"And Jack...if you help us, we will get you your memories."_

_Tooth smiled with complete Joy, Bunny groaned in agitation, and Sandy floated slightly higher holding two thumbs up with a wide smile. "It's a good idea, Jack. You should join!"_

_"I'm in!" Jack answered with a wide smile and hopeful eyes._

_"You know, I still can't believe you all made it a race!" Tooth scolded slightly._

_"Well, why not? It made it fun." Jack stated with a slight chuckle at the end. When no one said anything else, but instead nodded in agreement, Jack smiled and looked at how North was smiling. "Let's continue."_

_North was immediately seen jumping roof tops and going in and out of chimneys shouting, "Quickly, quickly!"_

_Then, they could all see Jack flying as he felt Joy, amusement, wonder, and excitement all bubble beneath his chest. "Hop to it rabbit! I'm five teeth ahead!"_

_"Oh, yeah right! Look, I'd tell you to stay out of my way, but what's the point, because you wouldn't be able to keep up anyway!"_

_Jack flew alongside Bunny as he was jumping and running across the rooftops and pointed his staff at him accusingly with a wide smile and the feeling of excitement rose even higher in his chest. "Is that a challenge, cottontail?"_

_"Oh, you don't wanna race a rabbit mate." Bunny smirked at Jack with joy and excitement of his own rising to the surface as he ran faster, zipping across the roof tops._

_"Whoa!" Jack shouted in surprise at Bunny's speed, and couldn't help the laughter that escaped his lips as he chased down the furry guardian._

_"A race?" North asked with amusement lighting up his eyes followed by anticipation. "Is it a race? This is gonna be...epic!"_

_They raced in and out of homes, beating each other to other teeth and eventually after already getting many teeth Bunny found another one and looked at it while he was standing on a roof when suddenly he slipped on ice that undoubtedly was caused by Jack. "Crikey!"_

_Jack picked the tooth from Bunny's hands and laughed at it. "Yes!" Then, Sandy came along and took it out of his hands. "No!"_

_"Nice try! Maybe next time, Jack." Sandy told Jack with his thoughts and waved goodbye to him with a slight silent chuckle as he flew away to find another tooth._

_The scene changed again and they all saw Tooth looking at...well...a tooth. "Left central incisor, knocked out in a freak sledding accident. I wonder how that could've happened, Jack." She shot Jack an amused and knowing look._

_Jack was looking at the drawing that Jamie had done of him flying through the air on the sled, and he found himself laughing lightly at Tooth's words. "Kids, huh?"_

_Tooth twirled the coin down her fingers and carefully slid it underneath's Jamie's pillow while still holding the knowing look. "Hmm..." She flew up to look at Jamie still asleep in his bed. "This was always the part I like the most. Seeing the kids."_

_'Oh, Tooth, please don't be sad...'_

"Nope!" Current Jack shouted.

"What's wrong, Jack?"

"It's just...look is there any way we could skip a memory?"

"Sorry, mate. Once a memory starts the only way to leave it is to continue on until the next one. Otherwise...when you stop it, if you don't move it, then we're stuck." Bunny answered with a curious glance.

"I was afraid of that..." Jack said as a lavender blush appeared on his cheeks and then rose to his ears.

"Wait...no way..." North said as he looked at Memory Jack and memory Tooth, and then back to current Jack and quickly remembered how Jack's heart was feeling as he looked back at Tooth with his answer of 'Kids huh?' and he found himself smiling at the young embarrassed guardian. "Oh Jack...is nothing to be ashamed of..."

"North, it's not funny!" Jack stated with the blush growing deeper.

"I am not laughing. None of us will."

"Fine...but remember...you said you wouldn't laugh. North said none of you would, and that goes for you too, Sandy. They may not be able to hear your thoughts and laughter, but I sure can." Sandy held his hands up in defense as he crossed his heart with one hand. "Yeah, please don't say that either. Already been through that remember?" Sandy nodded and patted Jack on the shoulder. He let out a frustrated and embarrassed sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "Fine...let's continue."

_'...you're too beautiful for sadness.'_

Current Tooth gasped as she placed a hand over her heart. "Jack..." She whispered out with her own blush appearing on her face.

"Yeah...Um..." Current Jack started with the blush deepening if that was even possible.  _'Well...no use in denying it now.'_  He let out an embarrassed sigh and brought a hand to his face and lowered his head towards the floor, his blush still apparent. "I um...I like you Tooth...you're beautiful, smart, caring, funny, and I..have...a crush...on you..." At the last six words he just kept lowering his head until he was crouching and clutching his staff in embarrassment.

What Jack didn't see at the moment was the huge blush that Tooth was wearing. What he couldn't feel was how fast her heart was hammering in her chest. She flew down towards Jack and smiled brightly. "I like you too, Jack."

"Y-You do?"

"Yeah, how could you not have noticed...I kept blushing around you..."

"And when we found out you were a guardian she was damn near twitter-patted at the thought of you joining. Even her fairies formed a heart while she stared at the image of you." Bunny mentioned with a slight chuckle, and was pleased to see both Tooth and Jack blushing deeply.

"Bunny!" Tooth whisper-yelled. "You didn't have to mention that."

"Oh, but I did, and no worries here, mate. The way you two look at each other...well, I was beginning to wonder who would admit it first."

"Same..." North admitted.

Sandy nodded and a symbol of a clock and a heart next to it appeared. "You two, Sandy!?" Jack asked, and received an amused nod from the golden man himself.

"What did Sandy say?" North questioned curiously.

"He said, 'It's about time you told her you like her.' Well, excuse me for never experiencing a crush before and not knowing what to do. I...I am so embarrassed."

"Hey, don't worry..." Tooth placed a reassuring hand on Jack's shoulder. "Like I said, I like you too..."

"T-Thanks...I don't really know what to do from here..." Jack stated as he looked up at Tooth with his heart hammering in his chest.

"We'll figure that out. Let's focus on your memories for now. Okay, sweet tooth?"

"Sweet tooth huh?" Jack could feel his confidence build slightly at her words and he gave her a smirk filled with mischief.

"Well...if you don't like it..."

"N-No...I like it. It's..." He let out a soft chuckle. "It's sweet."

"Oh! You two love guardians get a room would ya?" Bunny joked with a wide smile.

"S-Sorry..." Jack said as he rubbed the back of his head with a smile. "Let's continue."

_Tooth crossed her arms and hugged herself tightly as she continued to look at Jamie. "Why did I ever stop doing this?"_

_"Hmm..." 'Her last time out in the field was four hundred and forty years give or take.' "It's a little different up close, huh?"_

_Tooth looked at Jack with an appreciative smile. "Thanks for being here, Jack. I wish I had known about your memory. I could've helped you."_

_"Yeah well...look, let's just get you taken care of, then it's Pitch's turn."_

"Oh, Mate...you got it bad." Bunny joked.

"Getting used to feeling it tenfold then huh?" Jack asked with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah...and your still blushing." Bunny teased while Tooth and Jack both blushed.

"Right...let's continue."

_"Here you are!" North said as he pushed his way through Jamie's window._

_"SHHHHH!" Tooth warned as she pointed to Jamie sleeping._

_"Oh...what gives slow pokes? How you feeling Toothie?"_

_"Believed in!" She whispered as she flew up to North._

_"Ha! That's what I want to hear."_

_"Oh, I see how it is..." Bunny started as he appeared from a magical tunnel. "All working together to make sure the rabbit gets last place."_

_"SHHHHHH!"_

_"You think I need help beating a bunny?" Jack challenged with a smirk. "Check it out Peter Cottontail"_

_"you call that a bag of chompers?" Bunny pulled out his bag, which was indeed bigger than Jack's. "Now that's a bag of chompers."_

_"Gentlemen, gentlemen..." North started as he pushed through the other guardians. "This is about Tooth. Is not competition, but if it was...I win!" He slammed down his large bag. "YEE HAWW" Then, suddenly a flashlight was shined at them. North immediately regretted his decision to be loud and backed up slightly. "Oh no..."_

_"Santa Clause..." Jamie whispered out. "The Easter Bunny? Sandman! The Tooth Fairy! I knew you'd come!"_

_"Surprise..." Tooth gave a nervous laugh. "We came!"_

_"He can see us!?" Jack asked with hope filling up his chest._

_"Most of us..." Bunny stated sadly._

_"Shh...You guys, he's still awake."_

_"Sandy, knock him out."_

_"Yeah sure I'll just do that." Sandy thought sarcastically, but of course, Jack heard it at that time and no one else._

_"With the dream sand ya Gumbies!"_

_Bunny's voice had apparently woken up the greyhound that was sleeping. It started growling at Bunny with the intent to attack if he moved wrong. "No! Stop it! That's the Easter Bunny. What are you doing Abbey!? Down!"_

_"Alright, no body panic." Bunny suggested as he set down his bag._

_"But that's a um...That's a greyhound. Do you know what greyhounds DO to rabbits?" Jack asked with a slight chuckle at the end._

_"I think it's a pretty safe bet he hasn't met a rabbit like me. Six-foot-one, nerves of steal..."_

_"You hearing this, Jack?" Sandy thought to him as he got a ball of dream sand ready._

_"Yeah, I'm hearing it, Sandy." Jack thought to himself as he rolled his eyes and looked to the nearby clock._

_"...master of Tai-chi and..." Jack tapped the clock which was Abbey's breaking point and she immediately went after Bunny. "Crikey! Ah!"_

_Somewhere in the attack, Sandy lost the ball of sand he made and it began attacking the other guardians. First it hit tooth and baby tooth who both had teeth dancing above their heads. Then, it hit Bunny who had carrots above his head. After that was Abbey the greyhound who ended up with bones above her head. Next to go down was North who tapped one of the candy canes that started to appear. "Candy canes..." Then finally, Sandy caught Jamie and nodded his head, and the boy fell asleep._

_"Whoops!" Jack said with amusement bubbling in his chest. Then, much to Jack's delight, one of the carrots interacted with one of the candy canes and began dancing with it like it was on a Broadway show._

"It really was funny." Current Jack spoke before memory Jack could.

"That explains weird dream about having Christmas party in warren..." North said with a groan.

"Or about an Easter egg hunt at the pole..." Bunny also groaned.

Jack couldn't help but laugh as he said, "Let's continue."

_"Oh, I really wish I had a camera right now!"_

_"Jack, I hardly think that they would..." Sandy's eyes widened at the nightmare at the window._

_Jack's eyes followed where Sandy's were and just barely caught a glimpse of it before it left the window in a hurry. He immediately flew after it. "Sandy, c'mon! We can find Pitch!"_

_Sandy began walking to the window. "Should I wake them up? Nah, they'll be fine." Sandy caught up to_ _Jack who had started flying and jumping off of rooftops. "Hey, Jack! Just like old times huh!?" He shouted the thought at him with excitement in his eyes._

_Jack laughed out loud with pure joy and excitement in his eyes. "YES!" He chased after one nightmare as Sandy chased after the other. He jumped down from a building shouting, "Wahoo!" and continued his chase of the nightmare as he flew down the street and then down an alleyway, where he used the crook of his staff to make himself do a back spin while holding on to the staff, and he propelled himself forward chasing the black horse up the wall and onto a roof where he let out a beam of what almost looked like icy lightning. "I got it!" He shouted, once he felt his powers connect with the black horse. He laughed as he jumped further up to the second part of the roof to get a closer look at what he'd done. Once he found what he was looking for he smiled widely. "Sandy! Sandy, did you see that!?" He shouted, feeling proud that he took one of them down. He inched closer to it and touched his staff with it, which caused icy lightning to follow his staff along the black horse. "Look at this thing..."_

_"Frost?" Pitch questioned with a skeptical expression, making Jack immediately turn around with his heart suddenly pounding in his chest. He tried to shoot ice at him, but it missed as Pitch made to disappear. "You know, for a neutral party, you spend an awful lot of time with those weirdos. This isn't your fight, Jack."_

_"You made it my fight when you stole those teeth!"_

_"Teeth? Why should you care about the teeth?" Silently, Sandy appeared next to Pitch causing Pitch to let out a yelp and jump a couple feet away._

_"Pitch, you've been hurting children..." Sandy thought as he glared at Pitch._

_Pitch, not knowing Sandy's thoughts, chuckled darkly as he said, "Now, this is who I'm looking for."_

_Without warning, Sandy pulled out dream sand whips and immediately went after Pitch. "You have been hurting children! You have been hurting my friends! And you have no business talking to Jack!" Sandy used one of the whips to wrap around Pitch's wrists while Pitch was trying to swing his nightmare scythe, and began slamming him against the walls. "You. Will not. Swing that. Around Jack!" Sandy tossed him into the air and then slammed him onto the ground. "I won't let you hurt him!"_

_Once Pitch landed on the ground Jack chuckled lightly. "Remind me not get on your bad side."_

_Sandy gave Jack a sideways glance with a smile. "You can't get on my bad side, Jack."_

_"Okay...easy..." Pitch started as he backed away on the street while still on his back._

_Meanwhile Sandy was glaring him down, ready to strike again. "You tried hurting my friends and you tried hurting children!" He thought angrily._

_"You can't blame me for trying, Sandy! You don't know what it's like to be weak and hated! It was stupid of me to mess with your dreams..." Pitch stood up and held up a hand. "So I tell you what...you can have them back!"_

_Nightmare horses started to appear one by one then ten by ten, then Jack and Sandy found themselves surrounded. "You take the ones on the left I take the ones one the right?" Jack asked nervously._

_"I guess?" Sandy shrugged as he looked around._

_They both heard Pitch approaching, so they turned around to face him, and Sandy got his whips out, ready to fight once more. "Boo!" Pitch said as he commanded the nightmares to attack._

_As Sandy was attacking, the sled started flying overhead, which caught Pitch's attention, and made room for Sandy to attack a few more nightmare horses before grabbing Jack and flying into the air. Once they were high enough, and enough of the horses had followed them, Sandy tossed Jack into the air, mind shouting at him, "Go Jack!"_

_Jack started fighting off nightmares immediately after Sandy threw him into the air, and was relieved when Tooth took on the nightmare he was fighting. For a short time none of them were attacking him, when suddenly he saw that two were coming after him from both sides, so he simply allowed himself to drop out of the air slightly, so that the two horses could crash into each other. However, in his decent, he hit a horse and lost his staff. His insides ached, and his chest as well as his lungs started to feel like they would explode. He grabbed frantically for the staff in the air as his breathing grew heavier. Once he finally grabbed it, he landed on the side of the sleigh where Bunny grinned at him saying, "You might wanna duck." So, he did, and noticed the incredibly smug grin on Bunny's face that he had just barely avoided the boomerang._

_Jack soon noticed that Sandy was fighting by himself on a large golden cloud as he was surrounded by what seemed to be thousands of nightmares, and Pitch glaring him down. "We gotta help Sandy!" Jack shouted, and North immediately made his way to their golden friend when suddenly, Jack saw Pitch hit Sandy with some kind of nightmare arrow and it seemed to actually hurt Sandy. "No!" Jack shouted and immediately started flying towards Sandy as fast as he could._

_"Jack!" He heard Bunny shout, but he chose to ignore it._

_"Don't fight the fear little man!" Pitch laughed out_ _._

_Tooth tried to go after Jack but nightmares swarmed her. "Hurry, Hurry, Jack!" North shouted as he pulled back on the reigns._

_"I'd say sweet dreams...but there aren't any left."_

_As Sandy was consumed by the nightmare sand he stood proudly and only had one thought as he died. "I'm sorry, Jack." At his last thoughts his golden light had fizzled out._

_"No!" Jack stopped for only a moment as he realized what just happened. "NO!" He shouted as he flew directly towards Pitch. Pitch flung his nightmares at Jack, making Jack hesitate, but only for a moment. He felt an overwhelming anger. Pure rage, hopelessness, and heart break. 'No! Sandy...he's gone!" A sonic boom was heard and there was glowing blue light coming from Jack and the nightmares. 'Sandy was the only family I had..." He jolted back from the nightmares, his body giving off pure electrical and icy energy. "...and you killed him, YOU BASTARD!' At his last words he slammed his hands together focusing all of the negative emotions into the attack along with what little hope and wonder he had left. He hadn't planned to do it, and it was sudden, but somehow his body, heart, and soul knew exactly what to do with the emotions he had left._

"Whoa..." The guardians witnessing stood collectively in shock and awe as they were practically knocked back with the emotion. Bunny was getting used to it, but Sandy seemed to feel most of the damage this time.

"Uh...you guys alright? You okay, Sandy?"

"Sandy?" Bunny questioned with a concerned look at his golden friend after his heart had stopped pounding.

Sandy looked at the scene in front of him as it was frozen in place with Jack's power knocking both him and Pitch out of the sky. Tooth hadn't caught him yet, so he was still falling from the impact it had on both of them. Sandy's jaw was dropped and his eyes were misting. He looked at the scene, then at Jack, then at the scene again, then he gave Jack a desperate and pointed look as he pointed at himself. "Uh...you sure?" Jack questioned, and Sandy nodded frantically. "Alright...Sandy Edmond Thompson." Jack watched with curious eyes as Sandy began to glow, and to Jack's surprise, grow. Sandy was getting taller and taller, until he was just a little taller than Bunny, making him six-foot-three. Jack's jaw dropped at how Sandy's human form looked. He had medium sun blonde hair that was combed back and the blonde seemed to slowly turn into a bright orange color the further back it went. His skin was a slightly golden and fair, his eyes were the same color they had always been, his nose was slightly longer but still small. Sandy wore a yellow dress shirt that held a yellow tie that went underneath a shining golden vest that held a swirling pattern of what looked to be golden sand all over the vest and it had buttons that were shaped like moons and stars, his pants were also golden but a darker shade than the vest, and his shoes match the color of his pants. Upon closer inspection, Jack noticed that Sandy was thin like him, but seemingly more built and he found it funny that their hands and fingers were almost the same size and shape. Jack also noticed that Sandy was still staring at the frozen scene. "Sandy?"

"Oh, Jack..." Sandy gave a sad sideways glance at Jack, who's jaw only dropped further.

"Y-You're actually talking! You're not mute, and I'm not hearing it as a thought!"

Sandy gave a light chuckle along with a warm smile as he turned away from the scene to face Jack. "I wasn't always mute, Jack, and as far as this form goes..." Sandy looked down at his human form and found his own smile widening. "...It's actually pretty close to my original form." He looked back at the frozen scene and his smile faded as quickly as it came. "Hmm..." He hummed sadly as he looked at it. "Jack, you are more powerful than I had originally thought...and you were filled with so many negative feelings all at once...I'm sorry it affected you so much."

"It..." Jack started, still blown away that Sandy was actually physically talking. "It was difficult, and I felt..."

"You felt pure power rush through you...I felt it remember? You were so hurt and broken, and your only focus was on how much you were hurt, and how much you wanted him to pay for killing me. I'm willing to bet, you didn't know you could do that, huh?" Sandy gave Jack a sad smirk.

"No, I had no idea...I was just...so angry. You were the only one there for me for three hundred years...you're like a father to me, and then you were just...gone..."

"I'm sorry, Jack. I'm sorry that you had to go through something like that...however..." Sandy looked at the frozen scene and then back to Jack with a proud smile finding it's way to his lips. "We made quite the team in combat, didn't we?"

Jack's eyes lifted up from the floor, and he felt joy rise to the surface along with his saddened expression lifting itself into a glad one. "Yeah, we did!"

"I'm proud of you, Jack." Sandy placed a reassuring hand on Jack's left shoulder which only served to widen the young guardian's smile.

"But uh..." Jack's smile began to falter. "...You told me you didn't want me to experience negative emotions..."

"Sometimes, they are necessary and can't be helped. What I don't want, is for you to think you are less than anything. You are allowed to feel every emotion, but I would never wish you to ever feel self doubt, worthless, or helpless. You are remarkable, Jack."

"Well..." Jack let out a heavy sigh.

"Well what, Jack?"

Jack looked up at Sandy who was giving him the most fatherly-concern look he had ever seen. "Um...well...if you don't want me to experience those kinds of things...then I'm afraid you won't like the other memories that are going to show."

"What do you mean?" Sandy asked with a curious and worried expression.

"Well...I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you, because of all of this memory stuff...but after you died, Bunny tried to keep our hopes up with Easter and Sophie got into the warren because she found one of North's snow globes while he was still knocked out with dream sand...anyway...after all the eggs were painted and started heading out...I took Sophie home, and then I heard a voice...it was familiar...when I found where it was coming from I found out it was from my teeth and..."

"And...Pitch had them..." A look of pure worry immediately crossed Sandy's features. "Jack...what happened?"

"Well...he was actually scaring me quite a bit...he named my worst fears and got them exact almost...then...he just handed me the teeth saying I made a mess...I chased after him, but his shadow transported me into Bunny's tunnel where all of the eggs were smashed and destroyed...I went to see Bunny immediately, and when I got there...a kid walked right through him. They looked at me and asked where I was. Tooth noticed I had my tooth canister in my hand and asked where baby tooth was. I assume that she assumed I must've traded baby tooth for my teeth...North looked as if I betrayed everyone...and Bunny...he..."

"Jack, what did Bunny do?" Sandy's voice started to take on a serious tone as well as a furious one.

"He said I had to go...he looked like he was about to punch me and said that they should have never trusted me...Just..."

"Bunny said that to you!?" Sandy shouted, and received a stunned nod from Jack. Sandy's eyes were filled with anger and fury as he looked at the blurred image of Bunny just outside their small personal dome.

"Sandy, it's fine now."

"Oh, it's fine now, is it? So, he apologized?"

"No, but..."

"Oh, Jack...my boy..." Sandy moved to wrap his arms around Jack, enveloping him in a loving hug, and was relieved when Jack returned it just as tightly. "I was wondering what had happened to the carefree and wondrous joy that lit up your eyes...I thought at first that perhaps it was my death, but after they had built your hopes up so high and made you feel like you had more than just me even after I was gone...and then they stomped on what they built...that would do it..."

"What? What do you mean?" Jack asked as he looked up at Sandy.

Sandy leaned out of the hug slightly to get a better look at the young guardian. "Jack, we have traveled together for decades...centuries! In all that time...even with what the storm spirit said and how the others treated you back then...I had never seen that light in your eyes dim. You're still afraid aren't you? Afraid that one day they just won't trust you anymore and they'll cast you aside again..."

"Yes...if I'm to admit it...yeah."

"Jack, I don't think they will ever do that again. Especially after they find out what really happened and the extent of the damage they have done, and even if they do, I will always be there for you whenever you need me." Sandy let out a soft chuckle. "You know my route and schedule enough, you can always find me."

"Thanks Sandy." Jack tightened the hug slightly before backing out of the hug. "That means a lot."

"Always, Jack. I will always be there for you for as long as I can. Even if you no longer have believers, I will be there for you."

"Thank you!" Jack replied as a tear fell from his right eye.

Sandy wiped it away with a soft and warm smile as his hand fell onto Jack's shoulder once more. "You are most welcome. They haven't apologized to you yet, so I imagine that's where a great deal of your fear comes from. You don't know if they regret treating you like that or if they forgave you for whatever they assumed you did...but I am almost certain you will hear a plethora of apologies once they realize what they have done to you."

"I don't want apologies though. I want..."

"I know you want them to trust you and I also know that you won't admit it, but you want them to love you, and they have said they do...but trust and hope can so easily be shattered...yet so incredibly difficult to piece back together. No matter how uncomfortable the apologies may be for you, they will be necessary. Not just for you, but for them. An apology is more than regretting ones actions. It's seeking forgiveness for what ever wrong had been done. Do you understand, Jack?"

Jack nodded his head as he looked at Sandy's warm reassuring smile. "I understand, Sandy. Can I just um...ask one thing?"

"Anything." Sandy answered as he stood up straight with his arms relaxed at his sides once more.

"When you um...experience and witness the memories...don't go attacking them."

"I can't actually promise that, Jack." He replied with a guilty expression. "What I can promise you, however, is that I will be livid and they will know it."

"Why can't you promise that you won't attack them?"

"How would you feel if someone did to Jamie what they did to you?" Sandy asked with a slight smirk and a risen brow.

"Ah...I understand."

"Not quite, but it's similar. Jamie is your friend and possible relative...it's a bit different for me. I've known you for centuries, and  _you_  gave me hope. You gave me hope that I could one day open up to someone and be myself, you put wonder in my heart at how carefree, fun loving, and diligent you are, you helped my dream that someone would be able to hear me someday come true, and every memory whether they are good or bad...I wouldn't give them up for the world. I wouldn't give them up for all the belief in the world. I see you as my son, Jack. Even though I'm not your real father, I see you that way...like I adopted you as my own. So...imagine how you would feel about Jamie being put in the same situation and amplify it times a hundred."

"Oh...wow...I had no idea."

Sandy smiled at him and gave a light laugh. "Well, now that you have a bit of a better understand the position I will be put in...What do you say we continue?"

"Yes." Jack smiled up at Sandy. "Sandy Edmond Thompson" Almost immediately Sandy returned to his guardian formed and he gave Jack a gentle smirk.

The other guardians looked back and forth at Sandy and Jack and noticed that clearly something happened. "What did the two of you talk about?" Bunny asked with a stunned and curious expression.

"We talked about a few things...we talked about his death...and other things. You'll find out the other things later. I promise." Jack gave a slight smile as he glanced back at Sandy before turning his gaze back to the frozen scene. "Let's continue."


	11. Jack is Hurt and Sandy is Pissed

_The scene slowly faded to where they were all gathered around for Sandy's sudden funeral and then it slowly shifted once more to Jack sitting on one of the window sills at the pole. He tapped his pinky finger against the glass focusing on the image of Sandy, and a frost version of him appeared on the window pane. 'I miss you Sandy...'_

_"Are you alright?" North asked, his voice riddled with genuine concern._

_"I just...I wish I could've done something!" Jack scolded himself._

_"Done something?" North questioned with disbelief. "Jack, you stood up to Pitch. You saved us!"_

_"But Sandy..."_

_"Would be proud of what you did." Jack looked up at him and pulled back the hood of his jacket with a heavy heart. "I don't who you were in your past life, but in this life, you are guardian."_

_"But...How can I know who I am...until I find out who I was?"_

_"You will." North reassured him. "I feel it. In my belly."_

_'Right and that's never wrong?' Jack thought to himself as he found himself a bit amused at the idea of North listening to his belly._

_The sound of the lights going out got everyone's attention, and Tooth gasped. "Look how fast they're going out!"_

_"It's fear." Jack stated as he flew up towards the globe. "He's tipped the balance."_

_"Hey, buck up you sad sacks! We can still turn this around! Easter is tomorrow, and I need your help!" Jack's face lit up with delight and excitement. 'I get to actually help with Easter! He doesn't mind me helping!?' Jack nearly laughed out his joy, but pushed it down to hear Bunny continue. "I say we pull out all the stops and we get those lights flickering again!"_

_The scene quickly changed to North and the rest in the elevator about to leave. "Bunny is right! As much as it pains me to say, old friend, this time, Easter is more important than Christmas."_

Current Jack was laughing as Sandy held up two images above his head. One of a question mark and then a band-aid. "Good question, Sandy! So, North...how bad  _did_  it hurt for you to say that?"

"More than I will ever admit." North groaned out, bringing a hand to rub at his brow. "Can we see rest of memory?"

Jack nodded with a laugh. "Let's continue."

_"Hey did everyone hear that?" Bunny asked, stunned at North's words._

_"We must hurry to Warren! Everyone to sleigh!"_

_"Oh, no, mate. My Warren, my rules. Buckle up."_

_"Shostakovich!" North whispered out as the ground beneath all of them disappeared into lengthy tunnels. They all spun around and rolled around in the tunnel, but the only ones to not have an issue with the tunnels were Bunny, who knew them well, and Jack, who seemed to be expertly riding in the tunnel until they were all out. "Ha, Buckle up...is very funny."_

_'Wow, this place is amazing!' Jack thought to himself as he looked around the beginning area of the warren. "Welcome to the Warren!" Bunny greeted, but then something caught his attention. His googies were running away from something and it sounded like screaming. "Something's up."_

_As the screaming got closer, they all began to charge after the noise, thinking it was Pitch, only to find it was a little girl with blonde hair. "Sophie?" Jack asked, and they all quickly put away their weapons._

_"What is SHE doing HERE!?" Bunny asked as he tried to see the little girl who was chasing one of North's elves._

_"Uh oh...Snow globe..."_

_"Crikey, somebody do something!" Bunny exclaimed, not used to children in his warren._

_"Hey, don't look at me. I'm invisible, remember?"_

_"Don't worry Bunny." Tooth started as she flew a little higher towards Sophie. "I bet she's a fairy fan. It's okay little one."_

_Sophie smiled and her eyes lit up with wonder. "Pretty!"_

_"Awe...you know what? I have something for you! Here it is..." She held out her hand towards the small child, holding teeth in her palm. "...Look at all the pretty teeth with little blood and gum on them."_

_Sophie ran away screaming and began to chase the eggs again. "Blood and gums? When was the last time you guys actually hung out with kids?"_

_Sophie chased the eggs into a stone head, laughing with pure joy in her heart. "Peek-a-boo!" She shouted and the eggs began running away again._

_"We are very busy bringing joy to children! We don't have time...for children..." Even Bunny straightened up at the mere thought of it._

_"Well..." Jack made a singular snowflake appear as joy, hope, wonder, and fun bubbled through his powers, and he released the snowflake towards Bunny. "...if one little kid can ruin Easter, than we're in more trouble than I thought."_

_The snowflake fell against Bunny's nose and his eyes lit up with a fond look, and he started paying more attention to Sophie as he commanded the eggs to paint themselves throughout his Warren. He actually started to have fun, and the stress of Easter melted off him as he now had fun with the eggs getting painted and carrying Sophie on his back as he ran through the painting paths. As the rest of the eggs were making their ways to the different continents Bunny pointed at a stray egg for Sophie to find. "Oh, what's that over there?" Sophie ran over to get it and danced it back to Bunny as she giggled freely. "Oh, that's a beauty!" Bunny exclaimed as he carefully grabbed Sophie's hand and led her to where the other eggs were running towards their tunnels. "Now, all we got to do is get him and his little mates through the tunnels to the top, and we'll have ourselves Easter." Bunny sighed as Sophie began to quickly get tired. He picked her up carefully in his arms and she was asleep almost instantly in his arms._

_Jack walked over and crouched next to Bunny with pure wonder, hope, and joy as he watched the little eggs run towards the tunnels. "Not bad." He told Bunny with a wide smile._

_"Not bad yourself."_

_"Look, I'm sorry about the whole...kangaroo thing."_

_"It's the accent isn't it?" They both gave a soft chuckle. "Oh, poor little ankle biter. Look at her, all tuckered out."_

_"I love her." Tooth said as she lightly flew over her. She landed next to Bunny and held out her hands to take the child from Bunny. "I think it's time to get her home."_

_"How about I take her home?" Jack asked._

_"Jack, no. Pitch is..." Tooth started._

_"...No match for this." He finished as he held out his staff._

_"Which is why we need you here with us." Bunny stated._

_"Trust me. I'll be quick as a bunny."_

"Jack...this is where you left us..." Tooth said sadly.

"I never meant to leave any of you like that." Jack said quickly with a saddened heart. He felt a steady hand resting on his shoulder and looked to see it was Sandy giving his support. He nodded at him and gave a small sigh as he looked back at the scene. "Let's continue."

_They watched as the scene shifted to Jack struggling to get the small child from around his neck and onto the bed. As he turned around he heard a thump and winced as he noticed that Sophie had rolled off the bed, still sound asleep. "Sophie? Is that you?" Jamie's mother asked from downstairs. Jack threw a blanket over her and tossed her a stuffed animal just before leaving the room and carefully closing the window. He looked at baby tooth with a small amused smile and said, "We should get back."_

_"Jack!" A young girls voice called out and Current Jack heard Tooth audibly gasp from behind him, but decided to ignore it for now._

_"That voice..." He narrowed his eyes trying to remember where he's heard it from. "I know that voice."_

_"Jack!" It called out once more, and almost as if he was in some sort of trance, he flew off towards the sound of the voice, his eyes searching for where it could've come from. "Jack!" It called out again and he landed on someone's roof, again searching the area for the familiar voice. "Jack!" It said again. 'It's coming from the forest!' He flew off towards the forest, intent on finding the source of the voice. Once he made it to the middle of the woods and landed he walked closer to where he assumed the voice was coming from and found an old wooden bed frame that seemed to be broken in some places. "Jack?"  
_

_Baby tooth tried to pull on his hoodie, but Jack waved at her with almost a hypnotized trance look in his eyes as he continued forward. "Don't worry...there's still time."_

"Mate...what's wrong with you?" Bunny asked, growing concerned for their new guardian.

"The teeth!" Tooth exclaimed with a look of regret beginning to cross her features.

"What about the teeth, Tooth?" Bunny questioned as he still kept his eye on Jack.

"His teeth were activated!"

"Meaning?" North asked.

"Meaning...when his memories called out to him...he couldn't resist. It's different here though...it was only activated half way, which is why he can't help but be drawn towards his teeth. They have to be activated all the way, otherwise the child will try at anything to remember and find out what was forgotten. It usually ends badly if a canister is only activated half way which is why all of my fairies know to activate them as much as possible. However, in Jack's case, since his wasn't fully activated..." She trailed off.

"...He didn't come back in time when we needed him." Bunny finished with a look of guilt starting to a appear in his eyes.

Jack only nodded his head and looked back at the scene with Sandy's hand still resting on his shoulder reassuringly. "Let's continue."

_Jack broke through the already mostly broken wood, then the voice called out to him. After that, he dove down into the dark hole without a second thought with baby tooth rushing after him. Once he landed, Baby tooth found him and began tugging at his hoodie once more. "Come on, Jack. Let's leave!" Baby tooth squeaked out._

_"Baby Tooth! Baby T...C'mon! I have to find out what that is!" He looked up and saw all of the fairies that were captured earlier, in cages. All of the fairies started crying for Jack's help. He flew up to a cage and saw so many fairies inside. "Shhhh keep it down! I'm gonna get you out as soon as I..."_

_"Jack?" The voice called again and the trance like stare appeared on his face once again. "Jack!"_

_"...I can..." He practically threw himself into the pile of teeth canisters and frantically looked for a face that resembled his but found none._

_"Looking for something?" Pitch called out from the shadows. 'Pitch!' Jack turned around and shot ice towards the shadow, and as it disappeared he began to chase it. "Don't be afraid, Jack. I'm not gonna hurt YOU."_

"Wait..." Jack started as something dawned on him at that moment. "Tooth...could Pitch have activated my teeth halfway and still been able to see a bit of my memories?"

"It's possible." She answered. "Your picture is also on the canister...why?"

"Because...I met Pitch in the past remember? And his tone just then...I didn't realize it at the time...but it sounded as if he was telling me I should've know he wasn't going to hurt me, or that he didn't want to...he eventually changed his mind later obviously but..."

"You're right, mate...that is what it sounded like. He must've figured out who you really were in your past life."

"That's what I'm thinking...Let's continue."

_Jack jumped around the darkened corridor until he found Pitch walking across a bridge. He flew towards him and started following him with his staff ready to strike. "Afraid? I'm not afraid of you."_

_"Maybe not, but you are afraid of something."_

_"You think so, huh?"_

_"I know so! It's the one thing I always know. People's greatest fears. Yours is that no one will ever believe in you."_ _Fear began to settle into Jack's heart as Pitch's shadow grew more at his own words. Then suddenly, he was pulled down a dark tunnel and pushed out somewhere else in the cavern as he chuckled darkly. "And worst of all..." Pitch continued. "You're afraid you'll never know why! Why you? Why were you chosen?" Jack ran away from the voice all while trying to find where it came from. His heart was pounding and he was getting more frightened the more Pitch talked, because to an extent, he was right. Jack backed up against the wall as he noticed Pitch's shadow coming towards him, becoming more solid. "...To be like this. Well, fear not. For the answer to that is right here." Pitch held out the canister to Jack and looked at them both with a soft yet twisted reminiscent smile on his face as he asked, "Do you want them, Jack? Your memories?" Jack reached out to them, but drew his hand back as he scoffed out a breath of disbelief at himself. 'I have to get back to the others...' Jack thought to himself as Pitch disappeared again, and he soon found himself chasing him again through the dark cavern of cages. "Everything you wanted to know..." Pitch's shadow spoke. "...in this little box." His shadow disappeared and Jack rushed after it with determination in his eyes. "Why did you end up like this?" Pitch's voice seemed to come from everywhere at this point, and Jack could feel his heart hammering in his chest as fear quickly started to run rampant through his entire body. He started to find himself breathing hard, in fear of what else Pitch might say. "...unseen..." He continued. "...unable to reach out to anyone. You want the answers so badly. You want to grab them and fly off with them, but you're afraid of what the guardians will think. You're afraid...of disappointing them. Well let me ease your mind about one thing. They'll never accept you...not really."_

_Pitch's voice echoed around him and in his head. 'They'll never accept me...No! Stop...!' Jack started to grab his ear as he attempted to push out the fear from his heart and make his ears not listen to Pitch's cruelty. "Ngh! Stop it! Stop it!" He shouted. 'Get out of my head!'_

_"After all..." Pitch appeared in front of Jack who was now standing next Pitch's version of the globe. "You'll never be one of them." He smiled darkly as he approached closer._

_Jack held his staff once again, ready to attack Pitch at any moment as he tried to will the fear out of his body. "You don't know what I am!" He growled out._

_"Of course I do! You're Jack Frost! You make a mess where ever you go. Why...you're doing it right now." He tossed the teeth canister towards Jack, and Jack caught it, and looked at it skeptically._

_"What did you do?"_

_"More to the point, Jack? What did you do?" Pitch chuckled out darkly as he and his glowing eyes started fading away into darkness._

_Jack immediately went after him, his staff glowing with power, when he realized that Pitch wasn't there. He made to turn around but found himself facing a wall instead. "Baby Tooth!" He exclaimed as worry filled his heart._

_"Happy Easter, Jack."_

_Jack turned around to see crushed eggs and his heart sank, and his soul ached. "No..." He said sadly as he made his way down the tunnel._

_Current Jack heard audible gasps but chose to ignore them for now as the scene continued to shift to the Easter egg hunt. Memory Jack arrived at the egg hunt and immediately witnessed a child walking through Bunny. 'No...not Bunny...' He though guiltily. "They don't see me..." Bunny started. "They don't see me..." He said once more as he began to crouch in on himself with tears threatening his eyes._

_"Jack! Where were you?" North asked, and Jack immediately turned around with guilt practically crushing his heart. "The nightmares...attacked the tunnels. They smashed every egg...crushed every basket. Nothing made it to the surface!"_

_"Jack!" Tooth immediately flew over towards them, then noticed the canister in his hand. She gasped aloud and looked at Jack. "Where did you get that?"_

_"I was...it's..."_

_"Where's Baby Tooth?" She asked frantically. Then, she noticed the little fairy was no longer in sight and began assuming the worst. "Oh, Jack...what have you done!?" She questioned as she backed away from him with a look of pure heartbreak and disbelief._

_"That is why you weren't here? You were with PITCH!?"_

_'Oh God no...I...' Jack's thoughts started to run rampant with the fear from earlier as he realized he needed to say something. He needed to explain. "No! Listen listen..." He let out a heavy breath. "I'm sorry!" He stated desperately. "I didn't mean for this to happen!"_

_"He has to go." Bunny said from behind him._

_"What?" Jack asked as worry filled his heart. 'Please, no...let me explain!'_

_"WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE TRUSTED YOU!" Bunny rose a paw at Jack in the form of a fist, seemingly ready to hit him, and Jack was extremely frightened that he might as he thought to himself, 'Bunny was gonna hit me! I never meant for this to happen! I'm sorry! Please! I didn't mean to disappoint all of you!' Bunny lowered his fist and let out a heavy sigh. "Easter is...New beginnings...new life. Easter is about Hope! And now it's gone." Bunny sighed once more as he walked away from Jack with a disappointed look. Jack turned around to North and Tooth silently begging, 'Please hear me out! Please don't abandon me! With Sandy gone, I have no one! Let me explain!' But North and Tooth looked away, not wanting to see Jack. Jack took out the small wooden doll that North had given him, and looked at it's eyes. 'There's nothing wonderful about him. I crushed the guardian of Hope...Hope is gone and I have none left...and with Sandy gone...I'll likely never dream again. I just want to forget everything about the guardians and runaway!' The thoughts formed almost over each other and faster than Jack's heart could keep up. He tossed the doll to the ground and flew away._

The next thing Jack heard was Bunny practically sobbing saying, "Oh dear Moon...no..." Which was followed by the sound of a whip snapping behind him. He turned around to see a pissed off Sandy.  _'I have to do something...'_  He thought as Sandy continuously whipped at the guardians. 'I wonder what would happen if I said all of their names as fast I as I can!' Jack took in a deep breath and immediately began calling off their full names as fast as he could. "Elliston Aster Bunnymund! Sandy Edmond Thompson! Alannia Fair Toothiana! Nicholas Northward!"

A large light erupted from all of them and to his surprise they all began to change little by little. All except North who simply glowed a bit and returned to normal. Jack already knew what Bunny and Sandy looked like in human form but was stunned to see what Tooth looked like. She had short brown hair that had green and pink tips at the end, her skin was the same color it has always been. She wore a beautiful green shirt with a a long green skirt that fell to her ankles. The shirt was loose and it's long sleeves were baggy with slits cut into the sides showing her arms. The skirt had many colorful designs on them as well as some feathers sewn into the fabric. Drawn out of his amazement at how she looked, he noticed how she was backing away from Sandy. "Now, look...Sandy..." North began.

"Save it, North!" Sandy shouted with fierce eyes.

"Y-You can talk!? Really talk!" Bunny shouted in surprise as he continued to back away from a very human and very pissed off Sandy who still held onto his whips made of sand. Once his back hit a tree in the memory world his eyes widened.

"I wouldn't expect you to know since none of you had called my full name in any of our memories. Now, you all better have a good reason for breaking my kid's heart, not that I would believe they're good reasons anyway!" Sandy shouted as he whipped at them again.

"Sandy!" Jack shouted with stunned eyes. They had all found out that they saw each other like father and son, but neither of them said it so blatantly to the other guardians. He was also surprised, because this was the first time that Sandy said he WAS his son, not LIKE he was a son to him.

"All of you crushed his hopes, destroyed his wonder, smashed any dreams he may have had left, you made him want to forget everything that had happened between all of us together...and you broke not only his heart, but his soul!" With every accusation, the cracking of a whip was heard. Sandy never actually hit them, but he hit next to them and around them with pure fury in his eyes.

"Sandy! Please, stop!" Jack begged over the sound of the whips cracking, and he placed a gentle hand on Sandy's arm.

"J-Jack..." Sandy stuttered out as the whips receded back into him. Meanwhile, he looked at Jack who was giving him a patient and hopeful expression. Sandy nodded at him and stood up straight letting out a frustrated sigh as his arms dropped to his sides with Jack still holding on to one of them. "Explain!" He demanded with the same fury in his eyes, only now they were mixed in with patience. "What were you all thinking!? You gave him no time for an explanation nor did any of you care!"

"I...I'm still shocked that you're talking, mate...and with how much Jack felt...I..."

"Did none of you see him in a human form?" Jack asked quickly.

"No...I mean we saw him born, but that was as far as human we got with him...the next scene we saw...he was the Sandy we know now."

"Enough! I want an explanation, and I want it now! What reasons do you have for hurting him so much! I am giving you what you didn't give him. A chance to explain yourselves."

"W-We can't..." North stated as guilt filled his eyes.

"Then try!" Sandy growled. "You call yourselves guardians yet you went against everything you represent! You did all of that to a  _child_ all at once!"

"I thought...I thought..." Tooth began as she swallowed a lump in her throat while she looked at Jack's patient and desperate expression. "I thought he had bargained with Pitch..." She admitted, lowering her head as tears began to fall slowly from her eyes.

Sandy nodded his head angrily at her as he turned his gaze to North who looked completely guilt ridden. "And you, North? What's your excuse?"

"I...I thought Jack had left us...for Pitch...I also thought...he bargained with him. I thought he gave Pitch, Baby Tooth, for his memories."

Sandy gave another furious nod as he turned his gaze to Bunny who was still having trouble breathing due to the fact that he was the one to feel everything tenfold. "And you, Aster? I don't think I need to ask, as it was clear what your first intention was." Sandy glared him down as he held a hand up gently, allowing his Sand to take on life and form into a moving reenactment of Bunny forming a fist and almost hitting Jack. He let his hand fall and continued his steadfast glare.

"I...I was angry..." Bunny started as tears began to stain his fur. "I felt hopeless and I...My heart broken at no longer being believe in and I..."

"You broke his heart easily enough, Aster. Why should it matter that your heart broke when you were in the process of breaking a child's heart. No matter how long he's lived or your biased opinion of him, he is an immortal child! Not to mention Manny chose him, which meant you all were supposed to GUIDE him. Not CRUSH him!"

"Look, Sandy..." Aster began desperately, still feeling the raw emotion Jack felt in the memory. "There is no way we have a good reason for what we did. We shouldn't have done it. We know that now! We..."

"You should've known it THEN!"

"Sandy..." Jack started as his hand tightened around Sandy's arm. "Let him explain..."

Although, inwardly proud at Jack's patience, he found his was wavering as he let out a frustrated, "Fine...Finish, Aster."

"Right...look, what we did was wrong, and we all regret it. We should've treated him that way, but we all felt so defeated. Especially after you died..."

"Don't you dare use my death against me! None of you felt my death as deeply as Jack did and you all know it now!"

"Y-You're right, mate...but regardless that's what we felt at the time. We shouldn't have done it and we're sorry...can you forgive us, Sandy?"

"It's not me you should be apologizing to, Aster. It's Jack. He's the one you need to ask forgiveness from." All of the guardians looked up at Jack, who's hand finally left Sandy's arm and returned their stunned gaze. Then suddenly they all looked away from him in shame. "Well?" Sandy asked with a harsh tone.

"We don't deserve it." North stated, his voice breaking at the end.

"That's not up to you." Sandy stated with a slightly softer tone. "That's up to Jack, and if you all are truly as sorry as you say, then you will ask it regardless if you deserve it or not."

The other guardians looked back up with guilt ridden eyes as they stared at Jack. All contemplating what he might say. "Mate..." Bunny started. "Now I know what Jamie's mother meant about the look in your eyes. I'm...look...I'm sorry I acted that way, and it will likely haunt me forever now, considering not only did I almost hit a child...but I almost hit my first true believer...I don't deserve it...I know that...but can you...I'm sorry for everything. Can you forgive me?"

"And can you forgive me? I'm so sorry I didn't let you explain. I should've, and I shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that I did. I should've known better, Jack." Tooth stated with teary eyes.

"I know I don't deserve it, but can you forgive me as well, Jack? I am ashamed of my actions, and I should have never reacted that way without allowing you to explain. I think I can speak for all of us when I say, there is no amount of apologies that will make that..." North trailed off as he pointed a hand at the memory in front of them. "...okay." He finished.

Jack began to step back in complete and utter shock at everything he was hearing. As he stepped further back he felt Sandy quickly get behind him and his back ran into the front of Sandy. He felt his hands on his shoulders and looked up. "Jack..." Sandy said softly with a fond smile. "They deserve an answer."

Jack moved forward and out of Sandy's grasp as he looked at the other guardians who seemed as broken as they made him feel in the memory, if not...more broken. "You all really are sorry aren't you?" Jack asked as he narrowed his eyes at them.

"Yes..." Tooth began.

"...We are, Jack." Bunny finished, and North nodded his head.

"Well...If you're truly sorry then...I forgive you."

"You...would forgive us so easily?" North questioned, baffled by Jack's answer.

Sandy wore a proud grin as he looked down at Jack. "I think you'll find, North, that Jack is quite remarkable. He has never ceased to amaze me, and I suspect..." He looked up at the other guardians who were starting to stand up straight, still staring at Jack in astonishment. "...I suspect that you will see that he is always full of surprises. He is kind, intelligent, patient...most days, carefree, fun loving, and everything we represent."

"You knew I would forgive them...didn't you?" Jack asked with a smirk crossing his face.

"Honestly?" Sandy asked as he let in a large breath of air before sighing it out. "I wasn't sure, but I had a pretty good feeling you would. Especially when you stopped me from attacking them, and you asked me to allow Aster to explain himself. I'm proud of you, Jack."

"Thanks, Sandy." Jack replied with a wide smile.

"Thank  _you_ , Jack, for forgiving us. You didn't have to, and we're grateful you did." North stated with a proud and surprised smile.

Jack looked at him and let out a light chuckle. "Honestly...I really was afraid there for a while that none of you regretted or would regret any of that, and that I would never have a chance to explain myself. I was just going to live with the consequences...and I was expecting to be thrown out at any second...like I was that Easter."

"We promise, mate..." Aster started. "...once we're out of these memories of yours, you will never feel that way again."

"Thank you, Aster. Now...now that apologies are out of the way..." Jack silently questioned as he motioned towards the scene in front of them.

"Oh, yes, by all means. I'm curious to see what else happens, Jack." Sandy stated as he gave bantering glare at the other guardians. "You have to say our names again though."

"Wait, hold on, how did he even get all of us in our human forms anyway?" Aster questioned. "I thought he could only talk to us one at a time."

"Like I said..." Sandy started with a wide smile. "He never ceases to amaze."

"No, kidding!" Aster laughed out.

"Alright guys..." Jack began laughing. "Elliston Aster Bunnymund! Sandy Edmond Thompson! Alannia Fair Toothiana! Nicholas Northward!" Once they reversed back to their guardian forms everyone looked at each other with a new appreciative light. Jack nodded at Sandy a silent, 'Thank you', and looked back at the memory. "Let's continue."


	12. Believed in and Connections

_The scene shifted and they were all blinded by white light once again as they found themselves in Antarctica. Jack was running up to an icy cliff ready to throw his teeth into the white abyss, when something in him told him that he just couldn't. He dropped his arm to his side and let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought this might happen." Pitch called out. 'Pitch!? Why are you here!? This is your fault!' Jack thought furiously. "They never really believed in you. I was just trying to show you that." Jack grew livid the more and more Pitch continued to talk. 'You don't belong here! This was mine and Sandy's area! Not yours!' His mind shouted. "But I understand."_

_'HOW DARE YOU!?' Jack thought with pure rage as a growl left his throat as he immediately and relentlessly attacked Pitch with an ice blast. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!" He shouted as he jumped over Pitch, landed on the far other side of him and shot another ice blast._

_Pitch used his nightmare sand as a shield from Jack's blast that would've likely sent him off the edge of the cliff. "No!?" He challenged. "I don't know what it's like to be cast out!?" He shot out nightmare sand at Jack who avoided it and immediately flew high into the air with a vengeful yell as he shot out a large and powerful icy blast, that Pitch had to use quite a bit of nightmare sand to defend with. "To not be believed in?" He continued. "To long for...a family!?" Pitch's voice broke at the end and Jack started lowering his staff. 'He what?' He thought as his anger faltered slightly. "All those years in the shadows I thought, 'no one else knows what this feels like.' But now I see I was wrong." Jack felt the anger leave him as he stared at Pitch with stunned eyes. 'He does know what this feels like...doesn't he...?' He thought to himself as he allowed Pitch to continue. "We don't have to be alone Jack. I believe in you, and I know children will too!"_

_'Really?' Jack thought. "In me?"_

_"Yes!" Pitch laughed out in a giddy manner. "Look at what we can do?" Pitch asked as he gestured to the large nightmare-ice sculpture. "What goes together better than cold and dark!? We can make them BELIEVE! We'll give them a world where everything...EVERYTHING IS..."_

_"Pitch Black?" Jack inquired using his staff to point at him. 'I don't think so...'_

_"And Jack Frost too..." Pitch quickly caught himself. "...They'll believe in both of us."_

_"No, they'll FEAR both of us, and that's not what I want. Now, for the LAST time, leave me alone!"_

_Pitch's excited look from earlier quickly turned into one of anger and frustration. "Very well. You want to be left alone. Done! But first..."_

_Jack heard a familiar squeak from behind him and his eyes went wide. "Baby Tooth!"_

_"THE STAFF, JACK! You have a bad habit of interfering. Now, hand it over, and I'll let her go."_

_"No, Jack don't do it." Baby tooth squeaked out._

_Jack clutched his staff, ready to attack, and he heard the power practically sing from it with an icy voice, but he lowered it and flipped it around, handing it to Pitch. Pitch immediately took it and it lost all it's icy appearance it held when in Jack's hands. "Alright, now let her go."_

_"No." He said simply. "You wanted to be alone? Then BE alone!"_

_"Hey!" Baby tooth squeaked out and she slammed her beak into Pitch's thumb._

_Pitch, caught by surprise and only further angered, threw her against the ice wall in front of him. "No!" Jack shouted as he watched Baby Tooth hit the wall. He turned around to face Pitch when suddenly he watched his staff snap in two. As the staff snapped, so did his ability to breath, and it felt like his heart and soul and everything he was, was split in two...painfully. He thought for a brief moment that his ribs were broken, but he didn't have time to think about it as Pitch hurled nightmare sand at him and tossed him against the very same wall, causing him to lose consciousness until he woke up not long after landing down the icy cavern. Then, Pitch tossed Jack's broken staff into the same area._

_Once Jack regained consciousness, he looked over next to him and noticed that Baby Tooth was hurt. He shuffled over on his stomach, unable to move his legs quite yet and quickly grabbed her. "Baby Tooth! You alright?" He whispered out. He tried to close his hands around her to keep her warm when suddenly she squeaked, causing him to open up his hands, and she sneezed, then shook her head. He let out a disappointed sigh as he still held her. "Sorry, all I can do is keep you cold..." He stood up on his knees only to crouch back down on them with another heavy sigh. "Pitch was right..." Jack stated with pure hopelessness. "I make a mess of everything." Baby tooth crawled from his hand and into his pocket causing Jack to let out a short, "Hey!" before leaning up against the wall. 'I guess I'll just stay here forever then...the others don't need or want me, and Sandy's not around anymore, so what's the point.' Then, suddenly he heard the voice again._

_"Jack? Jack!"_

_He looked down at his hoodie pocket and it was glowing. "Whoa!" He shouted as he jumped back in surprise until his back hit the ice wall. He took out the golden canister and looked at it, and Baby Tooth who held her own tiny hand against it, nodding her head. He carefully placed his hand in the middle of the canister and was immediately brought forward to his memories. He saw how he played with the other children, went on Easter egg hunts, put on shadow puppet plays for them, played in trees, and most importantly, he witnessed himself saving his little sisters life and how MiM changed him from a dead mortal to Jack Frost. Quickly, as if all breath had left him, he sucked in a large gasp of air as he came flooding back to himself. He looked at the canister, then at Baby Tooth, then to the canister again in disbelief. "Did you...Did you see that!?" Baby Tooth shook her head for her answer, but that didn't stop every amount of happiness that came rushing into Jack's heart. "It was...It was me!" He said frantically as he moved to grab Baby Tooth to tell her of what he saw. "I had A FAMILY! I had a SISTER! I SAVED her!" Then realization dawned on him as he looked up to the full moon above him. "That's why you chose me..." He whispered out. "I'm...I'm a guardian!" The smile on his face was nothing compared to the pure feeling of Hope, Wonder, and the feeling of his dreams coming true as he finally found his memories and why he was put into the world as Jack Frost. His heart and soul swelled with joy, but he soon realized, he still needed to get out and get to the others. No matter if they hated him or not, he needed to get to them, but before them, he had to get the fairies. "We have to get out of here!" He said as he started looking for a way to climb out. Then, he noticed his staff. He quickly grabbed it and tried to put it back together, focusing on everything he felt inside. Everything the guardians represented, but it didn't work. He tried once more as he looked deep inside himself for everything the guardians represented AND how he felt when he used his powers. To his surprise, the staff began mending itself in his hands. Once it was mended he shot up into the air and danced with the wind laughing joyously. "Come on Baby Tooth! I owe you one!"_

_The scene changed rapidly from Jack noticing on Pitch's globe that the lights were going out and realizing that the last one was Jamie, him flying towards the house, and finally when he heard Jamie begin to talk to the stuffed bunny in his hands. Then, the scene slowed down. "Okay, look. You and I are obviously at what they call...a crossroads. So, here's what's gonna happen...If it wasn't a dream and if you ARE real, then you have to prove it...like right now." Jack lowered himself at the window as he thought, 'Oh, Jamie...I'm so sorry...' His frown deepened but he decided to let Jamie continue. "I've believed in you for a long time, okay? Like...my whole life in fact. So you kind of owe me now. You don't have to do much, just a little sign so I know. Anything...anything at all." Jamie begged his stuffed animal with a small glimmer of hope still left in his eyes, but when nothing he happened he tossed the stuffed rabbit onto the floor and sighed. "I knew it." Jack carefully opened the window and walked into Jamie's room. He tapped the glass with his staff, causing it to frost over. 'Even if he won't believe in me...he should at least believe in Bunny.' He thought to himself as he started to draw an Easter egg on the frosted glass. Jamie's eyes shot up and watched diligently as the egg seemingly drew itself. Then, Jack started to draw a bunny and he heard Jamie whisper, "He's real!" Jack couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face after he finished drawing the bunny. 'That's right, Jamie!' Jack held out his hands to the frosted drawn bunny, unsure of what exactly was going to happen but he felt in his heart that if he focused on everything that Bunny represents and everything that Sandy had taught and shown him, then perhaps he could make the bunny in the window pane real. He breathed in deeply thinking, 'Come on...I got my memories...all I need is North's wonder, Bunny's hope, and Sandy's dream sand like qualities. I BELIEVE I can do this!' He told himself as he finally let out the breath of air, and felt his magic pull wonderfully from his fingers, onto the window pane, and then into his hand. He opened his eyes to see a frosted bunny blinking at him before hopping around Jamie, just like Sandy's dream sand would've. Both Jack and Jamie laughed joyfully at the bunny that hopped around in the air before it exploded into a snow flurry falling from what seemed to be Jamie's ceiling. "Snow?" He asked curiously, until a snow flake touched his nose. "Jack Frost." Jamie said aloud with a small smile as he remembered his mothers words not too long ago._

_"Did he just say..."_

_"Jack Frost?" Jamie asked the air, thinking he heard someone in his room._

_Jack let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding as his heart pounded with hope and disbelief at the same time. "He said it again..." He looked down towards the floor as the hope and wonder continued to rise up into his chest. "He said...YOU said..."_

_Jamie turned around and his jaw dropped in shock. "Jack Frost!"_

_"That's right! But...but that's me! Jack Frost! That's my name!" Jack looked at Jamie, and he felt that he might burst with how much Hope was bubbling in his chest. "You said my name!" Jack then noticed that Jamie was staring right where he was standing and the hope only continued to rise, and his heart starting beating faster. "Wait...Can..Can you hear me?" Jamie nodded and Jack felt his breathing become ragged with how much his hope was risen. "Can...Can...Can you...Can you see me?" Jack didn't want to dare to hope, but his hope was already at such a high peak it was impossible to bring it down, and he thought it was impossible to lift it any higher until Jamie nodded at his most recent question. Immediately he felt his eyes begin to well up with happy tears. Jack laughed out breathlessly as his greatest hope was just confirmed. "He sees me. He...He sees me!" He laughed and cried out as all of the hope and wonder practically exploded in his chest as he did a back flip of joy onto Jamie's desk._

_"You just made it snow!" Jamie shouted with glee._

_"I know!" Jack replied with so much joy in his heart he almost couldn't take it._

_"In my room!"_

_"I know!"_

_"You're real!?"_

_"Yeah man! Who do you think brings you all the blizzards and...and the snow days!? And you remember when you went flying on the sled the other day?"_

_"That was you?"_

_"That was me!"_

_"Cool!"_

_"I know right!?"_

_"But what about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy? I mean, what about..."_

_"Real! Real! REAL! Every one of us is real!"_

_"I knew it!"_

_"Jamie! Who are you talking to?" Jamie's mother called out._

_Jack gave Jamie a go ahead and tell her look so he did. "Jack Frost?"_

_"Okay." She laughed out and Jamie looked at Jack in complete shock._

_The scene quickly shifted to Bunny as a small...well...bunny, saying, "Yeah, we'll protect you, mate!"_

_"Awe you'll protect them...but who will protect you!?"_ _One by one the kids stood forward saying that they would protect the guardians. Pitch called forth his storm of nightmares to race towards the children. "Still think there's no such thing as The Boogeyman?" He challenged._

_"I do believe in you." Jamie admitted. "I'm just not afraid of you!" He held up his hand against the nightmare storm bravely, and was taken back by how the black sand erupted into mystical golden sand._

_The guardian's watched the memory of them fighting along side each other and were filled with pride at how much Joy was in memory Jack's heart once again, but then Pitch was about to swing his scythe at Jack and a golden rope caught it and pulled on it, which only made the joy and hope rise even further in Jack's heart and soul, if that was even possible. 'It's...It's Sandy!' Jack thought loudly._

_Then, he could hear Sandy's thoughts just like he used to. 'I'm back Pitch! And I told you, you will not swing that at him. Tsk Tsk Tsk...You will never learn!" Sandy punched Pitch into the air and he gave a nod. 'This is less than what you deserve!'_

_All of the guardians and children gathered around Sandy, happy to see he was back and he was real again. Then, Sandy lifted up into the sky, and wanted to do something amazing for Jack. He allowed his sand to rush freely, going to children's dreams of course, but along with it, he created dinosaurs, sting rays, fish swimming about, and Jack's two favorite things. Snow and Dolphins. The beautiful sand snow fell delicately and lightly around Jack and the children as a snowball fight started to commence._

_The scene changed once more to where they were all on the lake and North was holding out the guardian book. Jack wore a proud smile on his face as he confidently said, "I will!"_

_"Then...congratulations, Jack! For you are now, and forever more...a guardian."_

Suddenly, Jack and the other guardians found themselves back at the pole and a bit disoriented. "What? I thought it would lead the memories back to here?"

"I guess you had an uneventful year so far..." Tooth said as she held her head. "That's it." Suddenly, Tooth was blinded by a shining light from the ceiling. "Manny?" She asked curiously.

"Manny is something wrong?" North asked.

They were all stunned when they heard a gentle yet resounding, "No, nothing is wrong." They looked up, and the voice was definitely coming from MiM, but usually he would just use his light to communicate. "I have a gift for Sandman. A gift for staying a true guardian for Jack Frost until the end and then begin again. He took the struggle upon himself to be there for Jack all these years, and he hasn't stopped yet. I am moved by their relationship, so...Sandman...stand on the guardian circle." Sandman looked up with equal measures of curiosity and shock as he did as he was told. Then, almost immediately, MiM's moon beam shined on him and he felt himself transforming for some reason. Once the moon beams left him he looked at himself curiously and found that he looked like he did when Jack had called his name. He looked like his human form from before. "Go ahead Sandman, try talking. Now, this will be the last time I speak for a long time. I hope you enjoy my gift. Thank you all for dealing with Pitch. Farewell."

"Sandy?" Jack asked curiously, not sure what to think or do at the moment.

"J-Jack...?" Sandy stuttered out and tears began to fall from his eyes. "Jack!" Sandy reached around Jack to pick him up and swing him around as they both laughed joyously. "I have a more human like form, Jack! And I can talk!" Sandy stated with laughter still bubbling from his lips as he set Jack back down.

"I can see and hear that!" Jack said in amazement. "This is wonderful! Now everyone can hear you, Sandy." Jack's words seemed to give Sandy a curious idea, because he smirked at him and rose an eyebrow. "I...I can still hear your thoughts!"

"Yeah, and you're the only one, mate." Bunny stated as his eyes were widened.

"This is amazing, Sandy!"

"I know! I can't believe it!"

They all cheered and later they held a celebration in Jack and Sandy's honor. Jack's for forgiving them, and Sandy's for being a true and faithful guardian to the end and beginning again.

* * *

A few days after the journey of memories, Jack found himself at Jamie's house, pondering on how to ask the strangest question one could ask an eleven year old boy. So, he took a chance and found his mother climbing up the stairs instead. Thankfully, Jamie's father worked nights. "Excuse me..." He started as he cleared his throat.

She quickly turned around, shocked that someone was in her house, but soon relaxed when she realized who it was. "Oh, Jack. It's you. What are you doing here?"

"Well, actually...I was wondering if you could perhaps answer a couple of...odd questions for me."

"There's no such thing as an odd question with me, dear...go ahead and ask."

"Alright...how long has this house been with your family?"

Her eyes widened at the question but she thought about it anyway. "Well...this house has been passed down for many many many generations...I would say since the mid 1600's. Why?"

Now it was Jack's turn to be surprised. "Um...you wouldn't happened to know if you ever had any relatives that were born under the last name, Overlander, would you?"

"Actually..." She started and motioned for Jack to follow her to her room, where she pulled a book off the shelf. "...Here..." She handed it to him and he began flipping through it. What he found, shocked him into silence. It was stories he had made up and told the children himself, the tales of his pranks, history of the family, who lived in the house, who got married, who didn't, who had kids, who didn't, and then there was a very old note written in what he knew to be his sister's handwriting. "...That book has been passed down for many many generations. That note you're holding belonged to Jamie's many times great grandmother. Her name was..."

"Sarah Autumn Overlander." Jack answered as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"But...how could you know that? I haven't even shown Jamie this yet...let alone..." She turned to see Jack was crying and quickly let her motherly instincts kick in as she wiped them away.

"I know her name...because I named her when she was born."

"But that's impossible that would make you..."

"Over three hundred years old...I am...we were on the ice...down at the pond in front of this house, when the ice began cracking underneath her...I tried to distract her with fun, and I switched places with her. I fell through the ice and I...I died...but then...the man in the moon brought me back to life and told me my name was Jack Frost. I woke up with no memories and it took me a very long time to get my memories back, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. These funny stories...I wrote them...and I would preform shadow plays on the sides of buildings..."

"You can't be serious..." She whispered out.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm lying." He looked at her intently waiting for her to look at him. When she did, he breathed deeply as he said, "My name was Jackson Frost Overlander. My sisters name was given to her by me, and her name is Sarah Autumn Overlander. I am over three hundred years old, and I am a guardian." He breath out a light sigh. "Now...am I lying?"

Jamie's mother brought her hands to her lips in shock. "No...no you're not. You have every bit of conviction in your eyes, and it would explain why Jamie says he always sees you either around our house or at the pond. "You're really Jamie's..."

"Yeah...I'm really Jamie's distant relative. Your's and Sophie's too."

"Wait...how do you know Sophie?"

"That's...a story for another time."

Suddenly, they both heard a toy clatter to the ground, and looked for the source, only to find Jamie standing in his mother's bedroom door. "I'm related to Jack Frost!?" He asked with his jaw dropped.

"Yeah, kiddo. You are!" Both Jamie's mother and Jack said at the same time.

Jamie's eyes immediately lit up and he jumped onto his mom's bed. "Oh wow, Jack! Tell me a story from then! What was it like back then! Did you have any powers then too! What could you do! Did you know the guardians then too! Tell me Tell me...PLEASE!?"

"Alright Alright..." Jack chuckled out. "Slow down...let's see...I guess we could start at the beginning. The day I was born, the year was..."

Suddenly Sandy walked in to the room with a wide smile. "Sandman! What happened? You used to be short." Jamie questioned with slight laughter.

"The man in the moon decided to give me a gift for being with Jack for all these years. I see him as a son to me, and I took it upon myself to be his personal guardian...so...Manny gave me this form and my voice back. I was beginning to grow worried, because I knew why he was here but I wasn't sure if he was going to be okay asking the question. Looks like I worried for nothing."

"Wait a minute!" Jamie exclaimed with a wide smile. "Jack is like you adoptive son?"

"Yeah, pretty much, kid." Jack answered with a proud smile. "He's been like a father to me for many many years."

"Cool! Oh, wait...story story...Jack, please continue!"

"Wait..." Jamie's mother started. "You're the Sandman?"

"Yes I am. Nice to see you again, Elizabeth Bennett. I used to send my dream sand to you some time ago when you were a child and just like your mother, you would often dream of flying."

"Wow...um..." Elizabeth felt Jamie tugging on her shirt and she felt herself chuckle warmly. "I don't think he's gonna let this go...Jamie wants to hear about Jack's life."

"Oh great! I love story time and I've got a couple hours to spare, and plenty of stories about Jack himself."

"Sandy, No!" Jack shouted in embarrassment.

"Sandy, Yes!" Jamie shouted back with laughter.

"Fine..." Jack groaned. "...but I start. Anyway...The day I was born, the year was..."

And just like that Jamie and his mother began learning a little more about their family and the guardians than they ever thought possible, and it would change their lives forever. One thing was for certain though. They would always believe in one another.


End file.
